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Psychological needs, mixed self-perceptions, well-being and emotional, and behavioral difficulties: adolescent students’ perceptions

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Abstract

Students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties are recognized as a continuing issue in the adolescent development and education. Since adolescents spend a great amount of time in schools, a central question is how schools can facilitate adolescents’ adjustment and positive schooling. Using the ERG theory of human needs, the present study aims to investigate potential predictors of students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties, by examining the individual and concurrent contribution of students’ psychological needs, mixed self-perceptions and well-being. Nine hundred and eighty-four students (aged 11–18 years old) completed (1) the Existence, Relatedness and Growth Needs Scale, (2) the Mixed Self-Perceptions Inventory, (3) the Well-being measure, and (4) the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results show that ERG needs and well-being contribute to the prediction of students’ psychological adjustment in schools. The measure of mixed self-perceptions was not a significant predictor of adolescents’ emotional and behavioral difficulties. The paper discusses the contribution of the study and its implications for teachers to improve the quality of students’ lives, as well as the significance of ERG theory in understanding human needs in relation to educational practices.

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  1. University of Patras, Patras, Greece

    M. Poulou

  2. University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    B. Norwich

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Poulou, M., Norwich, B. Psychological needs, mixed self-perceptions, well-being and emotional, and behavioral difficulties: adolescent students’ perceptions. Eur J Psychol Educ 35, 775–793 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-019-00457-1

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