Abstract
Three studies compared 10 candidate psychological needs in an attempt
to determine which are truly most fundamental for humans. Participants
described "most satisfying events" within their lives and then
rated the salience of each of the 10 candidate needs within these
events. Supporting self-determination theory postulates
(
Ryan & Deci,
2000
)-autonomy, competence, and
relatedness, were consistently among the top 4 needs, in terms of
both their salience and their association with event-related
affect. Self-esteem was also important, whereas
self-actualization or meaning, physical thriving, popularity
or influence, and money-luxury were less important. This
basic pattern emerged within three different time frames and within both
U.S. and South Korean samples and also within a final study that
asked, "What's unsatisfying about unsatisfying
events?" Implications for hierarchical theories of needs are
discussed.
