Boga, Danny (2011) The Relationship Between Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs and Motivation in the Workplace. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Self Determination Theory (SDT) postulates that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (i.e., Autonomy, Relatedness, and Competence) is necessary for facilitation of self-determined motivation. Whilst research has generally supported SDT, there have been relatively few studies that have drawn data directly from fulltime workers or have examined motivation in more detail than considering the macro-motivational categories of autonomous versus controlled motivation. Using the framework developed in SDT this study investigated the relationship between basic psychological needs and motivation. The study extended the previous research in this area by using data from an adult working population instead of the commonly used student population, and by analysing motivation in a multidimensional fashion that accounted for the subtypes of motivation that constitute controlled motivation. This study also added to the accumulated knowledge in motivational research by providing further cross-cultural data from an Australian sample. Two-hundred and fifty-seven Australians over the age of 20, and working 30 hours per week or more, completed an online questionnaire using the Work-related Basic Needs Satisfaction scale to assess the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs, and the Motivation at Work Scale to assess the motivational categories of Autonomous motivation, External, and Introjected regulation. Using multiple regression and structural equation modelling as a means of assessing the relationship between basic need satisfaction and motivational type, 31% of the variance in Autonomous motivation was accounted for by the three basic psychological needs, showing a moderate positive relationship. Individually all three basic psychological needs showed statistically significant positive relationships (p <.001). The basic psychological need of Autonomy was found to be the single greatest predictor of RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BASIC NEEDS AND MOTIVATION (iv) Autonomous motivation, individually accounting for 9% of the unique variance, followed by Competence, accounting for 4%, and Relatedness accounting for 3%. No significant relationships were found between any of the three basic psychological needs and the controlled motivational subtypes of External and Introjected regulation. Results have shown that the satisfaction of the Basic Psychological Needs are supportive to the expression of autonomous motivation, whilst they have relatively little effect on the expression of the controlled motivational subtypes of Extrinsic and Introjected regulation. Future research should consider the relationship between satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs and the expression of amotivation, and the macro-influence of organisational climate on motivational expression.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Tony Machin |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Aug 2025 02:58 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Aug 2025 02:58 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52163 |
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