From the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction to Intrinsic Motivation: Mediating Effect of Academic Integration.

Jorge Vergara-Morales,Milenko Del Valle

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.612023

Abstract

The studies show a positive and direct relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation of the students. However, there is a lack of studies that analyze the psychological processes that affect these relationships. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of academic integration on the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation of Chilean university students. The participants were a total of 580 students from a university in northern Chile, 359 women and 221 men. The mediation analysis was performed by structural equations modeling, using the maximum likelihood method and the bootstrapping procedure with 10,000 iterations. The results indicated that academic integration partially mediated the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation of the students. Therefore, the basic psychological needs satisfaction had an indirect effect on the intrinsic motivation of the students through academic integration. It is concluded that the academic integration constitutes a psychological process that promotes the development of intrinsic motivation for learning. The practical implications are discussed along with the limitations of the study and recommendations for future research.

Highlights

There is empiric evidence that demonstrate the relevance of transition experienced by students when moving from high school to higher education and the relevance of different factors influencing this important process that affects the development of learning (Soares et al, 2009, 2011; Fernández-Hileman et al, 2014; Borzone, 2017; Armijo et al, 2019)
Consistent with the self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000), a positive and significant association among the basic psychological needs satisfaction, academic integration, and intrinsic motivation was observed. These results indicate that when students perceive teaching and learning environments that facilitate the necessary conditions to satisfy the basic psychological needs, they activate their interest, effort, and sense of choice to participate in the learning activities and they experience a positive adaptation to the university life
It was identified that the basic psychological needs satisfaction had an indirect effect on the intrinsic motivation of the students through academic integration

Summary

INTRODUCTION

There is empiric evidence that demonstrate the relevance of transition experienced by students when moving from high school to higher education and the relevance of different factors influencing this important process that affects the development of learning (Soares et al, 2009, 2011; Fernández-Hileman et al, 2014; Borzone, 2017; Armijo et al, 2019). Current studies have shown that motivation is positively related to the academic integration perceived by students These results indicate that experience in the sense of choice and personal will to be involved in learning activities foster adaptation to the university life that enables the academic performance and continuity of studies (Clark et al, 2014; van Rooij et al, 2018). It is proposed that the academic integration experience can intervene the relation between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and the intrinsic motivation, since the positive adjustment of the students in the degree program could promote the sense of choice and the interest to be involved in the learning activities. The perception of the academic integration can intervene partially the link between the basic psychological needs satisfaction and the intrinsic motivation

Participants

Procedure

DISCUSSION

Limitations

Findings

ETHICS STATEMENT