Date of Award

8-2022

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Adam Pazda

Second Advisor

Bridget Cho

Third Advisor

Mary Moussa Rogers

Abstract

Objective: The current study examined the relative importance of psychological needs as predictors of relationship satisfaction and how differences across dimensions of adult attachment moderate these relationships. Through the examination of psychological needs, relationship satisfaction, and attachment questionnaires, it was predicted that psychological needs predict relationship satisfaction differently across the attachment spectrum, with attachment serving as a moderator of these associations.

Method: Data was collected from online crowd sourcing software, Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk). There were one hundred and fourteen participants, ranging from 18-78 years of age (M = 27.39, SD = 11.21), who were currently involved in a romantic relationship. Participants completed four questionnaires: The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale (Relationship Domain) comprised of 9 items measuring need satisfaction, The Relationship Assessment Scale comprised of 7 items measuring relationship satisfaction, Experiences in Close Relationships Scale comprised of 36 items measuring adult attachment dimensions, and Demographics of Participants.

Results: Autonomy and relatedness were stronger predictors of relationship satisfaction controlling for autonomy. Additionally, significant results from the regression analysis found that autonomy was a better predictor of relationship satisfaction for those high on avoidance relative to those low on avoidance. Likewise, relatedness was a better predictor of relationship satisfaction for those low on anxiety relative to those high on anxiety.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that psychological needs predict relationship satisfaction differently across the attachment spectrum. To understand how satisfied someone will be in their relationship it is important to know how much need satisfaction they are getting in their relationship, as well as the differences in an individual’s personality. Psychological needs lead to satisfaction differently for different people.

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