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Autonomy and Relatedness among Chinese Sojourners and Applicants: Conflictual or Independent Predictors of Well-Being and Adjustment?

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Abstract

Self-Determination Theory argues that relatedness and autonomy represent innate and universally critical needs and that, when satisfied, both needs should yield an independent positive effect on well-being and adjustment for all individuals. In contrast, some cross-cultural perspectives suggest that the pursuit of autonomy hampers the development of satisfying relationships, and such conflicts might be especially problematic for the well-being of individuals in collectivistic societies that value social bonds over the pursuit of uniqueness and independence. The present study sampled Chinese students who had temporarily moved to Belgium to study (i.e., sojourners) and Chinese students involved in the application procedure to study in Belgium (i.e., applicants). Consistent with SDT, the present research shows that the basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence are positively interrelated, that the satisfaction of these three needs predicts unique variance in Chinese students’ psychological well-being, vitality, and depression (i.e., main effects), and that autonomy satisfaction yields a more beneficial effect on vitality and better protects against depressive feelings when relatedness satisfaction is low (i.e., an interaction effect). Finally, mean-level differences in well-being between Chinese sojourners and applicants could be fully accounted by differential need satisfaction.

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Notes

  1. We also examined whether the effects of autonomy, competence and relatedness satisfaction on adjustment would be different for Chinese participants residing in China (i.e., applicants) compared to Chinese participants that were living in Belgium (i.e., sojourners). Interaction terms were created by multiplying centred means for group membership and need satisfaction, and these interaction terms were added in the regression analyses. None of the nine interactions (i.e., three for each adjustment outcome) reached significance. Hence, the main effects of autonomy, relatedness and competence satisfaction on adjustment apply for both Chinese applicants and sojourners.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Maarten Vansteenkiste, Willy Lens, Bart Soenens & Koen Luyckx

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  1. Maarten Vansteenkiste
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  2. Willy Lens
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  3. Bart Soenens
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  4. Koen Luyckx
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Correspondence to Maarten Vansteenkiste.

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Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Soenens, B. et al. Autonomy and Relatedness among Chinese Sojourners and Applicants: Conflictual or Independent Predictors of Well-Being and Adjustment?. Motiv Emot 30, 273–282 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-006-9041-x

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