Personality and basic psychological needs as predictors of life satisfaction

Sabol, Jasminka. (2005). Personality and basic psychological needs as predictors of life satisfaction. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology. [mentor Bratko, Denis].

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Abstract

The goal of this research has been to add to the understanding of life satisfaction concept through comparison of two theorethical models that explain it. Costa and McCrae's model of influence of personality dimensions on life satisfaction higlights the positive influence of extraversion and negative influence of neuroticism. On the other hand, self-determination theory and self-concordance model posit that fullfilment of basic psychological in sense of accumulation of daily attainment of experiences of autonomy, competence and relatedness needs predicts life satisfaction. There were 1166 participants in online research aged from 21 to 35 years, different status of employement and different academic level. International Personality Item Pool IPIP50 scale has been used to measure personality (five-factor test), Basic Psychological Needs Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The results confirmed the previous research and models of influence on life satisfaction which we have compared: Extraversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness are significant predictors of life satisfaction among personality dimensions, whereas extraversion and conscientiousness are positive and neuroticism is negative predictor; satisfaction of basic psychological needs is strong positive predictor of life satisfaction. The result of hyerarchical regressional analisys which we did to compare two models suggests that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs predicts life satisfaction over and beyond personality dimensions. Personality traits do not add to life satisfaction prediction of bacic psychological needs. Result is understandable from motivational approach to personality perspectives, which assumes needs are more basic and more simple constructs which influence development of personality. The result contributes to understanding of life satisfaction concept: to achieve well being, it is more important that a person satisfies her basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and realtedness, than what kind of person she is, i.e. if she was extraverted or neurotic.

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