Basic psychological needs and achievement emotions: the role of control and value appraisals in higher education
Objective To investigate how satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) influences achievement emotions through control and value appraisals among university students in Australia.Method The study employed an online survey completed by 420 university students....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Australian Journal of Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/00049530.2025.2500937 |
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| author | Jason Skues Earl Freeman Kelly-Ann Allen |
| author_facet | Jason Skues Earl Freeman Kelly-Ann Allen |
| author_sort | Jason Skues |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective To investigate how satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) influences achievement emotions through control and value appraisals among university students in Australia.Method The study employed an online survey completed by 420 university students. Measurements included scales for psychological needs satisfaction, control and value appraisals, and achievement emotions. Structural equation modelling analysed the relationships between these variables.Results Analysis revealed that autonomy satisfaction positively correlated with perceived value, while competence and relatedness satisfaction showed no significant associations. The three basic psychological needs demonstrated no significant relationship with perceived control. Perceived value positively associated with both positive and negative activating emotions. Perceived control showed no significant links to achievement emotions. The hypothesised indirect effect of autonomy satisfaction on achievement emotions through value appraisals was not supported, and the overall model demonstrated inadequate fit.Conclusions The findings highlight autonomy satisfaction’s unique role in shaping students’ value appraisals and achievement emotions. Educational practitioners should consider incorporating strategies that support students’ basic psychological needs, particularly autonomy, when designing curriculum and learning environments. Future research should explore alternative pathways between psychological needs satisfaction and achievement emotions to better understand these relationships. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-13c8d19087b64c4d8420b72a818923b3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0004-9530 1742-9536 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian Journal of Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-13c8d19087b64c4d8420b72a818923b32025-08-20T02:56:09ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAustralian Journal of Psychology0004-95301742-95362025-12-0177110.1080/00049530.2025.2500937Basic psychological needs and achievement emotions: the role of control and value appraisals in higher educationJason Skues0Earl Freeman1Kelly-Ann Allen2School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, AustraliaSchool of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, AustraliaSchool of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, AustraliaObjective To investigate how satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) influences achievement emotions through control and value appraisals among university students in Australia.Method The study employed an online survey completed by 420 university students. Measurements included scales for psychological needs satisfaction, control and value appraisals, and achievement emotions. Structural equation modelling analysed the relationships between these variables.Results Analysis revealed that autonomy satisfaction positively correlated with perceived value, while competence and relatedness satisfaction showed no significant associations. The three basic psychological needs demonstrated no significant relationship with perceived control. Perceived value positively associated with both positive and negative activating emotions. Perceived control showed no significant links to achievement emotions. The hypothesised indirect effect of autonomy satisfaction on achievement emotions through value appraisals was not supported, and the overall model demonstrated inadequate fit.Conclusions The findings highlight autonomy satisfaction’s unique role in shaping students’ value appraisals and achievement emotions. Educational practitioners should consider incorporating strategies that support students’ basic psychological needs, particularly autonomy, when designing curriculum and learning environments. Future research should explore alternative pathways between psychological needs satisfaction and achievement emotions to better understand these relationships.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/00049530.2025.2500937Achievement emotionsbasic psychological needsControl-Value Theoryautonomy satisfactioncognitive appraisals |
| spellingShingle | Jason Skues Earl Freeman Kelly-Ann Allen Basic psychological needs and achievement emotions: the role of control and value appraisals in higher education Australian Journal of Psychology Achievement emotions basic psychological needs Control-Value Theory autonomy satisfaction cognitive appraisals |
| title | Basic psychological needs and achievement emotions: the role of control and value appraisals in higher education |
| title_full | Basic psychological needs and achievement emotions: the role of control and value appraisals in higher education |
| title_fullStr | Basic psychological needs and achievement emotions: the role of control and value appraisals in higher education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Basic psychological needs and achievement emotions: the role of control and value appraisals in higher education |
| title_short | Basic psychological needs and achievement emotions: the role of control and value appraisals in higher education |
| title_sort | basic psychological needs and achievement emotions the role of control and value appraisals in higher education |
| topic | Achievement emotions basic psychological needs Control-Value Theory autonomy satisfaction cognitive appraisals |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/00049530.2025.2500937 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jasonskues basicpsychologicalneedsandachievementemotionstheroleofcontrolandvalueappraisalsinhighereducation AT earlfreeman basicpsychologicalneedsandachievementemotionstheroleofcontrolandvalueappraisalsinhighereducation AT kellyannallen basicpsychologicalneedsandachievementemotionstheroleofcontrolandvalueappraisalsinhighereducation |