Introduction

The importance of perception for the future has been emphasized years ago and is considered a phenomenon that needs to be examined. Indeed, without perception, the future cannot be envisaged, and how to behave in the present also remains unknown. In short, when there is no perception and the future cannot be perceived, the world can become a labyrinth where inhabitants lose their sense of direction (Von Foerster, 1972). Evaluating the cognitive developments during the transition from childhood to adolescence and the formation of identity, individuals are observed to develop a multi-dimensional time perception that encompasses the past, present, and future (Mello & Worrell, 2014). However, adolescents tend to form perceptions more towards the future than the past and the present. Additionally, it is indicated that the perception of the future is an effective structure in different developmental stages (Allemand et al., 2022). In adolescence, perceptions of whether there is one or more paths or opportunities for the future differentiate. Therefore, examining future expectations during adolescence becomes crucial for understanding individuals, as research highlights the association of future perception with identity development, hope, and depression during this period (Allemand et al., 2022).

Psychological needs are expressed in different ways in different theoretical contexts. However, the satisfaction of psychological needs, emphasized in every developmental stage, increases the likelihood of healthy development and leading a fulfilling life; failure to meet these needs can lead to maladaptive functioning and pathological conditions. Similarly, it is emphasized that psychological needs have individual differences and are related to motivation and self (Deci & Ryan, 2011). Moreover, individuals who satisfy their needs are seen to exhibit high levels of self-regulation, perseverance, academic performance, and positive emotions, while controlling their levels of anxiety and achievement-focused success (Vansteenkiste et al., 2004). Considering that issues such as self, motivation, healthy development, anxiety, achievement, maladaptive functioning, and satisfaction frequently emerge during adolescence, addressing psychological needs during this period becomes crucial. Therefore, in this study, metaphors are used to explore adolescents’ perceptions regarding the satisfaction and hindrance of psychological needs and what they mean. Different perspectives are presented in detail to shed light on these perceptions.

Future perceptions of adolescents

The adolescent period can be characterized as a transitional phase preparing for adult roles. During this period, adolescents not only prepare for higher education but also make decisions about their future careers. At this juncture, adolescents, faced with tasks such as planning for the future, making choices, and decision-making, are essentially structuring their future expectations. It is observed that the most common future expectation encountered during adolescence tends to focus on career outcomes and educational success (McCabe & Barnett, 2000), emphasizing its significance as a crucial construct that needs to be addressed (Turcios Cotto & Milan, 2013). Adolescents, while preparing for higher education, are also making decisions about their future careers. At this point, adolescents facing tasks such as future planning, making choices, and decision-making are actually structuring their future expectations. Future expectations, which are expressed as cognitive maps that encompass individuals’ views, interests, and concerns about the future (Yam et al., 2018), are also related to emotional states such as self-concept, locus of control, coping strategies, and well-being (Şimşek, 2012). Another aspect of future expectations is future perception. Individuals’ perceptions of the future are expressed as the images they create in their consciousness about the future based on their perceptions of the present moment (Yam et al., 2018).

The fact that adolescents exhibit a greater orientation towards and engage in more future planning than adults (Prenda & Lachman, 2001) suggests the importance of addressing the concept during this developmental period in shaping future developmental stages. Furthermore, the significance of the concept of the future is evident in its impact on adolescents’ behavior, attitudes, and personality formation. Therefore, the examination of concepts such as future perception, anxiety, and expectations that influence individuals’ motivation is emphasized (Aytar & Soylu, 2019). In light of all these explanations, understanding how adolescents shape their perceptions of the future can provide insights for professionals working with individuals during this period. The evaluation of future perception and psychological needs is approached within different theoretical frameworks (Daltrey & Langer, 1984; Ryan, 1995). This study aims to assess adolescents’ perceptions of the future and psychological needs through the perspective of reality therapy.

The relationship between reality therapy, future perception, and psychological needs

When evaluating future perceptions, one can draw upon various theoretical frameworks, and it can be argued that insights from reality therapy’s theoretical explanations can also be beneficial. Glasser (2014) emphasizes that individuals can control their behaviors, choose for themselves, and underscores the importance of internal control. Furthermore, he anticipates success and happiness in the future when interpersonal relationships are healthy. Glasser also highlights the importance of focusing on the present and the future rather than the past, indicating that using the WDEP system to focus on individuals’ desires and behaviors and planning based on necessary evaluations would be functional. In this process, it is essential to focus on the client’s perceptions. Indeed, perception is a necessary element to plan for the future and evaluate the present (Von Foerster, 1972). Therefore, it can be considered that reality therapy provides a theoretical framework to navigate when assessing perceptions of the future.

Moreover, although reality therapy is applicable for professionals working with adolescents in psychology, social work, counseling, classroom teaching, administration, and other disciplines, more research is needed (Wubbolding, 2015). Given the known impact of reality therapy on increasing adolescents’ self-efficacy, responsibility, mental well-being, and mental health while reducing anxiety (Jamalabadi et al., 2022), it is believed to provide guidance in framing adolescents’ perceptions of the future.

Another focus of the study is adolescents’ perceptions of the four fundamental psychological needs defined within the context of reality therapy (belongingness, power, freedom, and fun). Evaluating the impact of adolescents shaping their future perceptions based on these psychological needs, as well as considering cultural structures reflecting differences in socio-cultural values, underscores the importance of examining psychological needs in the Turkish adolescent sample. Although adolescents’ needs in different cultures are often evaluated in the context of three fundamental psychological needs—autonomy, relatedness, and competence (González-Cutre et al., 2020; Fraguela-Vale et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2023; Vansteenkiste et al., 2020)—there are few studies that specifically address the dimensions of love-belonging, power, freedom, and fun (Dursun, 2022; Harvey & Retter, 2002). It is emphasized that psychological needs should be addressed in these four dimensions (Harvey & Retter, 2002).

The importance of qualitative assessment of future perception and psychological needs

While there are various quantitative studies examining future perception and psychological needs (Allemand et al., 2022; Thomas et al., 2017), qualitative research on these topics is rarely encountered (Dursun, 2022). However, no study has been found that evaluates the concept of future perception, thought to be related to concepts such as responsibility, decision-making, control focus, psychological needs, and total behavior, within the context of reality therapy. Examining adolescents’ future perceptions in-depth through qualitative research methods is likely to facilitate a better understanding of their emotions, thoughts, and expectations regarding the future. Similarly, exploring their psychological needs can contribute to guiding them towards healthy directions. As a matter of fact, the basic concepts of reality therapy such as making choices, taking responsibility, evaluating the functionality of their own behaviors, making plans and implementing them (Banks, 2009) enable adolescents to continue to be successful. It also motivates adolescents to continue making choices that will enable them to take personal responsibility for their future behavior (Mabeus & Rowland, 2016). In addition, reality therapy helps adolescents increase their self-confidence and express their own needs without hesitation (Wahyuningsih, 2018), and reduces the risk of experiencing hopelessness and identity crisis (Mahmoodi et al., 2013). In light of all these explanations, it is thought that it would be appropriate to examine concepts that may be related to adolescents’ future perceptions and psychological needs with the concepts of reality therapy. Because it can be said that experiencing an identity crisis, having a sense of hope and being motivated in future-oriented behaviors will shape the perception of the future. Similarly, it is emphasized that meeting psychological needs is very important for adolescents (Dursun, 2022). As stated, one of the important concepts of reality therapy is psychological needs. Consequently, this study is considered important as the first research to investigate adolescents’ future perceptions in the light of reality therapy, focusing on adolescents’ psychological needs in conjunction with evolving and changing life conditions, and utilizing qualitative research methods. Additionally, it is expected that the findings of this study will serve as a foundation and provide data for future research on adolescents’ future perceptions and reality therapy. Lastly, it is believed that the results of this research will offer insights into psychological counseling and guidance services provided to adolescents in schools, particularly in terms of planning their futures and addressing important topics such as psychological needs, responsibility, and control.

Methodology

Participants

In the research, a convenient sampling method, which is one of the sampling methods in qualitative research, has been used. Convenient or accessible sampling relies on readily available, easily accessible elements (Patton, 2005). However, adolescents who are still in the adolescence period, attending formal education, and willingly informed their families about the research, participated in the study. In this context, interviews were conducted with a total of 181 adolescents, with an average age of 15.36, including 125 (69.1%) girls and 56 (39.1%) boys. Care was taken to interview participants from each grade level. Among the participants, 55 (30.4%) were in the 9th grade, 77 (42.5%) in the 10th grade, 26 (14.4%) in the 11th grade, and 23 (12.7%) in the 12th grade. Additionally, an effort was made to reach participants from different types of schools. Indeed, 157 participants (86.7%) attend Anatolian High Schools, 13 (7.2%) attend Social Sciences High Schools, 7 (3.9%) attend Anatolian Imam Hatip High Schools, and 4 (2.2%) attend Vocational High Schools. Their academic averages vary between 41 and 88, with an average of 73.74. Although this study was planned in a qualitative pattern, the reason for the large number of participants is that it was tried to explain the future perceptions and psychological needs of adolescents in the context of maximum diversity sampling. In this way, different situations can be represented and situations can be fully described from multiple perspectives (Henwood, 2014). In this study, adolescents of different genders, different grade levels, different school types, and parents with different education levels were included in the study to ensure maximum diversity. Thus, this research, planned in a qualitative pattern, will provide repeatable and convincing results, and the sample will be included in the universe. It has been supported to include all its elements (Creswell, 2013).

Procedure

In the research, ethical approval for the study Scientific Research Publication Ethics Committee. This study was approved by The Humanitarian Sciences Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee on 04.04.2022 (ReferenceNo: 2022/11 − 05). The author declare that they have no conflict of interest. Furthermore, an informed consent form and parental consent form were added to the online interview questionnaire. The reason for choosing the online environment to collect data through in-depth interviews in the study is cost and time efficiency (Abidin & de Seta, 2020). Adolescents willing to participate in the interviews were informed about the research and provided with a link to the interview questionnaire. Responding to the interview questions in the online environment took an average of 20 min, and the interview data were collected between May and November 2022. Participants no incentives (money, food, gifts, etc.) were provided for participating in the interviews. Due to the large number of participants, numerical ordering was used instead of names.

Validity and reliability studies

In order to enhance the validity and reliability of the research, several measures were taken. To improve validity, the research process and participants (gender, grade level, academic average) were described in detail. Additionally, in the findings section, participant sentences that could serve as examples for codes were presented in detail, including the participant’s gender and grade level information. To ensure reliability in the research, participants were provided with detailed information about the scope of the study, and their voluntary participation was encouraged. Furthermore, the roles of the researchers were predefined, and the process was systematically carried out.

Throughout the research process, including question formulation and analysis, literature-supported procedures were followed, and the research method was thoroughly described. Moreover, one of the measures taken to enhance reliability was seeking expert opinions, as suggested by Creswell (2013). In this study, opinions were obtained from two experts. Finally, in accordance with Miles and Huberman’s (1994) formulation, inter-rater reliability is expected to exceed 70%. In this study, reliability was calculated as 86%.

The interview questions included in the interview form prepared by the researchers were grounded in the theoretical foundation of reality therapy. The form underwent modifications after three expert reviews who were knowledgeable about reality therapy and had experience in qualitative question formulation. The questions were designed to delve into adolescents’ future perceptions, starting more broadly and aiming to access both positive and negative aspects of adolescents’ future perceptions. The questions include: (i) How do you imagine your future life? (ii) What are you doing today to achieve your future life? (What are the obstacles, resources, and strengths? ) (iii) When you evaluate what you are doing/not doing today to achieve your future life, what comes to mind? (iv) When you evaluate what you are doing/not doing today to achieve your future life, what advice would you give to yourself? (v) What are your thoughts about the future? (vi) What are your feelings about the future? (vii) What are your beliefs about the future? (viii) How do you meet your psychological needs (love, power, freedom, fun)?.

Coding and analysis

The data analysis in the study employed theoretical thematic analysis to thoroughly organize and describe the data. The process began with the researcher deciphering and repeatedly reading the data, followed by the creation of initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing and creating a thematic map of the themes, and finally, naming and reporting the themes (Braun & Clarke, 2006).

In this context, after collecting data from the AD and NC researchers, the process involved rereading the data set multiple times, eliminating unanswered or tangentially answered, and incomplete interview forms from the data mass to reach the final data set for analysis. Subsequently, two researchers simultaneously focused on key terms related to the concepts of reality therapy to perform initial coding. The codes were then categorized and a map was created by AD, which was presented to NC. NC examined the data set in the context of her own code categories, and the process continued with several iterations. Throughout this process, the fundamental concepts of reality therapy were taken into consideration.

Finally, after obtaining the themes, the researchers presented them to experts for their feedback. Following feedback from two experts knowledgeable in reality therapy and qualitative research, the findings were finalized and compiled into a report. The themes, codes, and categories related to adolescents’ future perceptions are presented in Table 1, while metaphors related to their psychological needs are provided in Table 2.

Results

Adolescents’ views on future perception

The findings related to adolescents’ future perceptions are presented in Table 1. These are organized into two main themes: ‘Future Perception’ and ‘Future-Oriented WDEP System.’ Under the theme of Future Perception, six categories were identified, including psychological needs, control, quality world, total behavior, responsibility, and identity formation.

Psychological needs

The adolescents who participated in the research mentioned their needs for love-belongingness (f = 162), fun (f = 157), freedom (f = 110), and power (f = 90). Adolescents who perceived the need for love-belongingness as essential, healing, and fundamental expressed meeting this need through environmental resources such as social support and hobbies. They fulfill this need by showing love, feeling valued, meeting the power need through physical, spiritual, verbal, and internal contact. Similarly, the need for fun is met through social contacts and support, hobbies, technology use, showing love, and using humor. Adolescents believe that unhealthy coping mechanisms and lack of awareness or fulfillment hinder meeting the need for fun. Regarding the need for freedom, adolescents meet it through hobbies, taking responsibility, self-control, expression, questioning, and relaxation. However, they find it challenging to satisfy the need for freedom due to reasons such as avoiding responsibility and lack of awareness. Adolescents meet the need for power through hobbies, social support, sports activities, academic efforts, personal development, internal motivation, and taking responsibility. The difficulty in recognizing and defining the need for power makes it challenging for adolescents to satisfy this need. The findings indicate that adolescents engage in different actions to satisfy various psychological needs.

Table 1 The relationship between themes, categories, and codes regarding adolescents’ future perception
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These results highlight the exploration of situations where adolescents cannot meet and satisfy their needs and the need for necessary interventions. Some examples of expressions related to adolescents’ struggles in meeting or satisfying their psychological needs are presented below:

The need for love is important to me. Many things in life pass through love and beauty. I meet my need for love by spending time with my friends and family. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Fun plays a small part in my life. I spend time with my friends during school breaks, I spend some time on the phone at home, but I love spending time with my mother, going out… [Girl, 9th Grade, Anatolian High School].

In my opinion, freedom is a feature that only exists in birds. There is no freedom in the family; clothing, traveling, reading… And if we are women, of course. The reason for this is the trust between them. [Girl, 12th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Power is the meaning of life for me, and I provide the power I need by acting without delay, aware of my position in society, my rank, and what I can do. [Male, 12th Grade, Anatolian High School]

The need for love is my raison d’être. It is the best help to start something, I meet my needs in a completely different world by reading books. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

In my opinion, love is necessary for every human being and this need arises from loneliness. I meet my need for love by motivating myself. [Girl, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School]

It’s like a painkiller. With hugging… [Girl, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School].

As a result, as can be seen from the statements of the research participants, the psychological needs (Love-belonging, Power, Freedom, Fun) that are fundamental to reality therapy are also effective on their lives. It is particularly noteworthy that their efforts to meet Love-Belongingness and Fun needs are intense. This is clearly seen in the metaphors in which they express their perception of need. Adolescents often compare their Love, Belonging and Fun needs to vital needs such as eating and breathing. In this regard, it can be considered important to focus on meeting these needs and how they are met in preventive and therapeutic studies with adolescents.

Control

Under the category of control, the desire to satisfy psychological needs (f = 84), effort/dream to achieve goals (f = 74), positive perception of the future (f = 17), and negative perceptionsof the future (f = 21) emerged. Adolescents express a desire to control and satisfy their psychological needs, such as being happy and strong in the future, gaining economic power, and meeting the needs for fun and freedom. Additionally, efforts to achieve future goals, such as acquiring a profession, being goal-oriented, and exhibiting perfectionism, indicate a sense of control. Moreover, it is observed that adolescents may have negative perceptions of the future based on a lack of awareness, loneliness, and hopelessness, leading to a feeling of lack of control in this regard. According to reality therapy, gaining internal control is crucial for adolescents. These findings suggest the need to focus on adolescents’ negative perceptions of control and situations where they do not feel in control. In this study examined from the perspective of Reality therapy, the efforts of the participants to gain control over their lives in their statements about the future draw attention. In this respect, it can be said that it is important to provide opportunities for adolescents to feel in control in their future planning and studies on this subject. Some statements expressing adolescents’ feelings related to the control category are provided below:

My biggest dream is that I can express my thoughts freely, that people accept me as I am, and that my thoughts and decisions I make are respected. [Girl, 11th Grade, Vocational High School]

It’s like seeing cheerful faces every day, my career being as I expected, and a peaceful life. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Going to another city or even country for university. [Male, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Living a perfect life with family or alone. [Male, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Table 2 Metaphors for psychological needs
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World of quality

In this category, adolescents mentioned positive motivation for the future (f = 100) and negative motivation for the future (f = 39). The quality world is a structure that includes situations, events, people, and perceptions that individuals value. It is effective in meeting and motivating individuals to take action to satisfy their psychological needs. In this context, positive motivation for the future that facilitates adolescents in taking action and satisfying their needs includes positive beliefs about themselves, beliefs about goals, positive beliefs about the environment, spiritual beliefs, and hope. Additionally, it has been found that some adolescents have negative beliefs about themselves and the environment in their quality world. This situation may negatively impact adolescents’ perceptions of the future and lead to a lack of motivation in satisfying their psychological needs. Therefore, there may be a need for interventions addressing the negative perceptions in adolescents’ quality world. Some statements expressing adolescents’ feelings related to the quality world category are provided below:

We will be a happy country, we will leave the difficult days behind. [Girl, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I believe that I will be rewarded for my efforts in the future. [Girl, 9th Grade, Vocational High School]

Even though I want to be successful, I believe that I will fail when I see my grades. [Girl, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Total behavior pattern

Adolescents’ efforts to achieve future-oriented goals (f = 158), their emotions about the future (f = 209), and thoughts about satisfying their psychological needs (f = 32) are evaluated within the pattern of total behavior. Total behavior assesses individuals’ emotions, thoughts, actions, and physiology. In this context, adolescents believe that to reach the lives they envision in the future, they need to be goal-oriented, set goals, be organized, be determined, and have internal control. Additionally, adolescents experiencing hopelessness, feelings of insecurity, and future anxiety believe that meeting economic, motivational, entertainment, power, and time needs is crucial when planning their futures. It is noteworthy that adolescents generally express negative emotions about the future. Adolescents mentioned positive emotions (f = 75), negative emotions (f = 107), and neutral emotions (f = 27) when talking about their future feelings. In positive emotions, they feel happy, hopeful, proud, and peaceful, while in negative emotions, they feel stressed, hopeless, unhappy, excited, sad, anxious, worried, and uneasy. Some adolescents also had difficulty describing and naming their emotions. These findings suggest the importance of paying attention to negative emotions related to future perceptions when working with adolescents. Below are some statements expressing adolescents’ feelings in the total behavior category:

I worked very hard and got the job I wanted… [Girl, 9th Grade, Anatolian High School].

I recommend doing what I want, when I want, without stressing myself too much, so I can be more productive. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I should take better care of myself, I should plan better… [Girl, 12th Grade, Anatolian High School].

No one can guarantee that they will be with us in 5 years, so we need to chart and evaluate our path accordingly. [Male, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Spending more time watching movies and TV series and not worrying so much about the future… [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School].

I dream motivating dreams for myself and my only wish is to pass the class this year, and if I pass, I want to shine as a different person from everything and everyone for the next 2 years. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I would say use your time wisely because these times will never come again. Even if you become a very successful and rich person in the future, the only thing you cannot buy is time. [Girl, 12th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Responsibility

Adolescents also mentioned the concept of responsibility for the future in their statements. They stated that there are internal sources (f = 136) and external sources (f = 6) regarding responsibility. While talking about internal resources such as economic, academic, personal development efforts and personal power source, they also stated the importance of external resources such as academic support and social support resources. Responsibility is a very important concept for reality therapy. Similarly, it is very important to be able to take responsibility in terms of both developmental tasks and the career decision-making process during adolescence. It is noteworthy that the participants frequently expressed internal resources. It is thought that it will make it easier to take responsibility since the continuity of internal resources is under the individual’s control compared to external resources.

I’m working too hard. I try new things to discover myself. [Girl, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I don’t have a disability, it can’t happen. I am a patient person, my diction is good. I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I want. [Girl, 9th Grade, Anatolian High School]

My obstacles are myself, my resources are my books, my strength is my best friend… [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School].

My resources: My family’s support, highly disciplined and qualified teachers… [Male, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School].

Identity achievement

Adolescents also talked about identity achievement, which is one of the important concepts of reality therapy and adolescence, by talking about successful identity patterns (f = 30) and unsuccessful identity patterns (f = 8) for the future. In their statements, adolescents stated successful identity patterns when talking about concepts such as the desire for control, the acquisition of autonomy, and the desire for social order. They also mentioned unsuccessful identity patterns by including unrealistic expectations and avoiding responsibility. Therefore, according to the research results, it becomes crucial to pay attention to adolescents’ unrealistic expectations and tendencies to avoid responsibility and to intervene as necessary. This way, support can be provided for adolescents to achieve successful identity formation.

I want my feet to be firmly on the ground and to live a life without depending on anyone. [Girl, 12th Grade, Anatolian Imam Hatip High School]

I would like to have what I want at my fingertips at any time. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Future-oriented emotions

Adolescents’ feelings about the future are categorized under three headings: positive affect (f = 75), negative affect (f = 107), and neutral affect (f = 27). Under positive affect, adolescents mentioned feeling hopeful, happy, peaceful, and proud, while also expressing feelings such as hopelessness, anxiety, worry, stress, and unease. Some adolescents also had difficulty describing their emotions. It is noteworthy that adolescents experience negative emotions more frequently than positive emotions. On the basis of reality therapy, attention is paid to the relationship of negative emotions with needs that are not met or are not met in a healthy way.

When I think about my feelings towards the future, I feel hopeful. At least, there are positive feelings inside me for my own future. It’s like everything is going to be really great. [Girl, 9th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I feel very sad and scared when I think about not being able to succeed or not reaching my dreams…[Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School].

I don’t know…[Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School].

Four categories were obtained under Future-oriented WDEP system theme in Table 1. These are wants, doing, evaluation and planning, which are the concepts of reality therapy.

Wants

Under this category, adolescents mentioned their expectations of meeting physical (f = 36) and psychological needs for the future (f = 52). They emphasized future economic well-being and physical health in their expectations of meeting physical needs. They also talked about meeting their needs for fun, power and freedom in the future, and their desire to start a family and socialize. When evaluated in the context of future perceptions, wants become highly important as they have the potential to shape the future. This is because wants are qualitative in nature. In this regard, it can be considered that professionals working with adolescents can focus on wants with a perspective of meeting their psychological and physical needs when examining their future perceptions. The wants section could be considered the part where professionals working with adolescents would gain the most information about the perception of the future. This is because adolescents form their wants based on their perceptions of the future. Therefore, considerations could be made for wants such as family, socialization, and meeting needs to be part of adolescents’ perception of the future. Below are some statements expressing adolescents’ wants:

To have a good economic income and to be a happy and healthy person. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I want to be someone who made my name known. [Girl, 12th Grade, Anatolian Imam Hatip High School]

No matter what happens to me, I just need someone to support me. [Girl, 9th Grade, Social Sciences High School]

A free life without interference. [Male, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School]

A comfortable, fun, non-tiring life [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School].

Doing

Under this category, adolescents have discussed what they do concerning their future-oriented actions. They have mentioned avoidance of responsibility (f = 20) and efforts to achieve their goals (f = 47). Additionally, they have emphasized efforts to achieve their goals when discussing what they do for their future. In their statements, they have mentioned concepts like motivating themselves, setting goals, and making plans. In their expressions, they have talked about inaction, a perception of inadequacy, and procrastination behaviors. These statements reveal a range of attitudes and behaviors among adolescents regarding their actions and aspirations for the future, including both challenges and efforts to reach their goals. In the doing phase, adolescents can gain awareness as they evaluate their own behaviors. Indeed, experiences such as avoiding responsibility, procrastination, and feeling inadequate may arise, negatively impacting their future perceptions. In the context of avoiding responsibility, it becomes crucial for professionals working with adolescents to focus on the adolescents’ current situations and behaviors.

I try to study, try to understand. I’m not doing my best at everything, but I can if I want to, yet I still procrastinate. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I don’t have many obstacles; my family is supportive. I’ve already started preparing for the university entrance exam. I’ll study all summer, no matter what happens, and I won’t give up. Over the next two years, I plan to study a lot and secure a good major so that I won’t be unemployed. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Evaluation

Adolescents’ evaluations of their future can be categorized into three main areas: avoidance of responsibility (f = 87), efforts to achieve goals (f = 58) and confronting reality (f = 38). They have used concepts representing avoidance behavior such as procrastination, insufficient effort, external locus of control, perception of obstacles, negative self-efficacy beliefs, negative emotions, and neutrality. Regarding their efforts to achieve the goal, they mentioned that they work goal-oriented, have positive efficacy beliefs, need to plan, and internal locus of control. While evaluating their future behavior, they also made statements regarding their awareness that they were facing the truth. Adolescents’ healthy evaluation of their current situation may make it easier for their future perceptions and goals to be more realistic. In this regard, it is important to support adolescents who need evaluation at this stage or who have low self-awareness.

I start studying very late; I prolong my start time, and I check my phone too much. [Boy, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I feel like I can’t make it, even if I study, it feels like I can’t survive in this country or achieve a profession in this education system. [Girl, 9th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I feel like I can succeed in one way and not in another. I’m in a void. [Boy, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I’m making an effort, but I feel exhausted, just like Mac-Ready in the movie ‘The Thing’. [Boy, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I believe that if everything I plan goes well, I will hit my target right in the middle. [Girl, 12th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I get stressed a lot, I shouldn’t do this, and that’s why I usually lose in the future. I think if I continue like this, I will lose. Mostly, sometimes my self-confidence is shaken. If I do this, I may lose again in the future. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Planning

Adolescents have shared action-oriented (f = 106) and emotion-focused thoughts (f = 53) regarding their future. In their future plans, they have discussed goal-oriented, family-building, migration, personal growth, economic, and responsibility-oriented behaviors. In addition, their statements included positive expressions such as hopeful future perception, as well as economic anxiety, future anxiety, negative perception of social order and thoughts of uncertainty. It is thought that adolescents’ positive or negative feelings and perceptions about the future may have an impact on their plans. As a matter of fact, emotions are an element related to thoughts and behaviors from a total behavioral perspective. In this respect, negative perceptions and emotions about the future need to be intervened. In addition, it is considered important to raise awareness about the future, which is perceived with unrealistic optimism.

I want to live in South Korea and this is not a dream for two days, I have been thinking about it for about a year and a half and now I am sure that I really want it. [Girl, 9th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I want to be advanced in every field, for example, I want to learn different languages, play the guitar and piano, and improve more in painting. And I want to do more sports in the future. [Girl, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I hope that animal laws will become stricter and that those who hurt animals, violence, harass and rape women will be punished up to death. [Girl, 10th Grade, Anatolian High School]

I don’t know what kind of life I will live, what kind of life is waiting for me, I am definitely worried that if I lose out on this path, I will experience great difficulties. [Male, 11th Grade, Anatolian High School]

Perceptions of adolescents regarding psychological needs

In Table 2, findings related to metaphors used by adolescents to understand their perceptions of psychological needs are presented. Adolescents used metaphors to express their perceptions of these needs in the psychological needs category. They emphasized the fundamental nature and necessity of all psychological needs, creating metaphors that conveyed meanings such as basic needs and requirements, healing properties like medicine and vitamins for the love-belongingness need. For the power need, they used metaphors conveying the meanings of necessity, struggle, effort, protection, and healing. In expressing the freedom need, adolescents used metaphors like a bird, flying, and self-discovery to highlight relaxation and self-awareness. Regarding the fun need, they discussed its basic and necessary aspects, as well as its motivational properties, using metaphors like going to an amusement park, zest for life, and support. When metaphors are examined, it is seen that psychological needs are very important for adolescents. It is particularly noteworthy that they attach vital importance to the need for love and belonging. Therefore, it is important to understand to what extent psychological needs are necessary for adolescents and to support them in meeting their needs in a healthy way.

Love is a need for me, it is the reason for my existence. It is the best help to start something, and I meet my needs by reading books, entering a whole different world. [Female, 10th grade, Anatolian High School]

Power is very important to me. Sometimes, I don’t know how I will do it. I feel like I am in a race. [Male, 12th grade, Anatolian High School]

The need for freedom is like the most necessary thing for me to live comfortably in the future. [Female, 10th grade, Anatolian High School]

For me, it is one of the body’s greatest needs, and I meet my needs by walking around in friend environments.’ [Male, 12th grade, Anatolian High School].

Discussion

This study examines the meanings attributed by adolescents to future perceptions and psychological needs within the framework of reality therapy concepts. In this context, six categories were initially identified under the theme of future perception: psychological needs, control, quality world, total behavior pattern, responsibility, and identity achievement. When examining research findings, the importance of psychological needs, one of the fundamental concepts of reality therapy, is frequently emphasized during adolescence. Similarly, needs that are stated to be innate and universal in research (Glasser, 2014) are considered as the source of behaviors (Wubbolding, 2015). In research findings, adolescents particularly emphasize the significance of the need for love and belongingness, considering it essential and one of the healing and basic needs, also reflected in the metaphors they use. Similarly, in reality therapy, this need is recognized as a fundamental requirement (Wubbolding, 2015). Furthermore, during adolescence, which is a transitional period, the degree to which an adolescent satisfies psychological needs from the individuals in their relationships becomes crucial. Indeed, the importance of the need for relationship building during adolescence is emphasized. On the other hand, the need for love and belongingness is known theoretically as one of the most challenging psychological needs to fulfill. This is because it is acknowledged that at least one other person is required to meet this need. Therefore, how this need is met is also crucial. In research findings, adolescents state that they meet their needs for love and belongingness by using environmental resources such as social support and hobbies. Parallel to this, Booker (2004) emphasizes that the development of a strong sense of belonging is part of adolescence. From this perspective, it is essential for adolescents to meet their need for love and belongingness and to use various sources such as social support and hobbies. This is because the healthy fulfillment of needs in reality therapy is crucial for successful identity formation. According to the research results, adolescents consider the need for entertainment, such as the need for love and belongingness, as a fundamental need. The need for entertainment is known within the framework of reality therapy as the easiest need to fulfill, seen as necessary for increasing and sustaining well-being (Yorgun & Voltan-Acar, 2014). When considering adolescents, the need for entertainment is crucial. Adolescents mention that they can meet this need through social contact and support, hobbies, technology use, expressing love, and using humor. However, attention may need to be paid to the positive or negative use of humor in interactions with individuals or environments where the need for entertainment is met. Using dark humor or establishing contact in risky environments while meeting the need for entertainment can be considered unhealthy use. This situation may pose a risk to unsuccessful identity formation and damage the need for freedom. In this context, adolescents, in their metaphors, emphasize that the need for entertainment is fundamental and necessary, providing motivation. Adolescents state that the need for freedom is necessary for the present and future, fundamental, vital, and associated with relaxation. They emphasize this through metaphors. From this perspective, it can be considered that adolescents intensely feel the need for freedom. This is because adolescents under the age of 18 act together with individuals who are responsible for them in terms of financial aspects and the implementation of decisions (Dursun, 2020). This may make it difficult to meet this need. In the study, adolescents mentioned that they can meet the need for freedom through hobbies, taking responsibility, self-control, expression, questioning, and relaxation. Another perspective is that situations may arise where the need for freedom conflicts with the need for love and belongingness. While an adolescent satisfies the need for love and belongingness by being part of a group such as family, friend group, religion, etc., it is thought that this situation may make it difficult to meet the need for freedom (Yorgun & Voltan-Acar, 2014). However, Glasser emphasizes the importance of not harming others’ needs and taking responsibility when satisfying the need for freedom. In this regard, adolescents’ efforts to control themselves and take responsibility may be an indicator that they are trying to meet their needs successfully. Adolescents believe that they meet the need for power through hobbies, social support, sports activities, academic effort and activities, personal development efforts, internal motivation, and taking responsibility. Attempting to discover one’s internal strength, being able to make decisions by taking one’s responsibility, and building positive relationships with people are important for development and psychological well-being (Yorgun & Voltan-Acar, 2014; Wubbolding, 2015; Dursun, 2022). The research results also show that adolescents meet these needs positively, not by exerting power over others.

One of the strong findings in this study is the ways in which adolescents meet their psychological needs. It is emphasized that discussing adolescents’ future needs and expectations is crucial and significantly contributes to their development (Ege, 2018). The indication of how psychological needs in adolescent development are met in this research will serve as a guiding factor for parents, mental health professionals, and social support sources in addressing these needs. Additionally, the evaluation of psychological needs in the context of four fundamental psychological needs—namely, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun—in this study aims to broaden the relevant literature, emphasizing the necessity of approaching needs from this perspective (Harvey & Retter, 2002).

While adolescents strive to meet their psychological needs, the perception of control in adolescents is active, and their quality world is also in the process of renewal (Ünüvar, 2012). Adolescents aspire to control future happiness, gain economic power, and meet entertainment and freedom needs. However, efforts to achieve future goals, efforts to have a profession, goal-oriented behavior, and tendencies toward perfectionism are indicative of adolescents feeling in control. Additionally, some adolescents lack awareness of their future, have negative perceptions based on loneliness and hopelessness, and, in this regard, feel a lack of control. According to reality therapy, it is crucial for adolescents to gain internal control. These findings suggest a need to focus on adolescents’ negative perceptions of control and situations where they do not feel in control. Moreover, considering that motivation increases when psychological needs are met (Maralani et al., 2016), adolescents may increase the likelihood of creating a positive perception of the future by feeling in control. In short, in the process of planning future expectations, it becomes crucial for adolescents to have positive orientations toward the future, be aware of their values, and internal motivational sources. This is because when adolescents have high internal motivation, they can make their own decisions, cope with the negative effects of stress, and establish healthier relationships with their environment. In other words, they can feel in control. Planning various studies to help adolescents gain control over their future perceptions, develop their quality worlds, and acquire responsibility could be beneficial. Additionally, interventions focused on reality therapy have been shown to be effective for adolescents in terms of internal control and academic motivation (Kim & Hwang, 2001).

In the study, adolescents discussed concepts such as the desire for control, gaining autonomy, and the desire for social order, effectively indicating successful identity patterns. They also emphasized unsuccessful identity patterns by including expressions related to creating unrealistic expectations and avoiding responsibility. Adolescents with positive attitudes towards the future are thought to be able to develop a healthy identity. Therefore, during adolescence, Seginer (2003) considers the orientation towards the future or individuals’ images of the future as an important developmental task since it lays the groundwork for planning goals. When adolescents explore opportunities for the future, they discover new things and support the formation of their own identities. In parallel, attention is drawn to vocational tendencies regarding identity acquisition and development. Becoming a professional and receiving education for it, and thus preparing for life, is important for identity acquisition during adolescence. These studies highlight future expectations such as professional success, economic gain, and a happy marriage (Yavuzer et al., 2005; Öztürk & Uluşahin, 2011; Konate & Ergin, 2018; Avar, 2019). The research findings also indicate that adolescents have similar perceptions of the future. Within the focus of reality therapy, the successful development of adolescent identities, the formation of a positive self-perception, making healthy choices, taking responsibility, and meeting basic psychological needs are effective in shaping adolescents’ future perceptions and assisting them in becoming healthy adults (Zeira & Dekel, 2005; Yalçın, 2007). Furthermore, in the research, adolescents also mentioned unsuccessful identity patterns. Similarly, in a study, adolescents who perceived themselves as unable to use personality resources efficiently and questioned identity acquisition during this period were found to have anger and inadequacy perceptions towards themselves and the environment (Gümüşel, 2017). This could lead to unrealistic expectations and behavioral tendencies to avoid responsibility.

One of the important findings in the research is the feelings that adolescents express regarding the future. It can be said that adolescents’ positive feelings towards the future are parallel to findings in other studies. It can be stated that adolescents experiencing positive feelings towards the future have an increased subjective well-being, and the likelihood of experiencing depression and anxiety feelings decreases (Young et al., 2019). In another study, it is indicated that individuals who exhibit positive feelings towards the future and approach it with an optimistic, hopeful perspective will be determined to achieve their goals, make efforts, and demonstrate a positive attitude (İmamoğlu & Güler-Edwards, 2007). Similarly, it has been revealed in a parallel study that as adolescents’ hopes increase, their levels of psychological well-being also increase. The source of negative feelings can stem from unmet psychological needs according to reality therapy. These felt emotions challenge the adolescent because adolescence is a period of emotional difficulty and also carries the risk of new onset of anxiety and depressive disorders (Young et al., 2019). Therefore, working on emotion regulation skills during this period will contribute to the adolescent’s development of a positive perception towards the future and psychological well-being. Additionally, due to the uncertainties of the future, it can lead to negative feelings in adolescents. For these reasons, adolescents may need motivation, planning, and evaluation for a positive perception of the future (Şimşek, 2011).

The second theme obtained from the research findings is the WDEP system for the future. Under this theme, four categories were identified: wants, doing, evaluations, and planning. In the wants category, there was an emphasis on the expectation of economic well-being and physical health in the future as part of meeting physical needs. Additionally, adolescents expressed wants related to meeting the future needs for entertainment, power, and freedom, as well as aspirations for family formation and socialization. It is observed that social support is an important factor in shaping adolescents’ expectations for the future (Sulimani-Aidan & Benbenishty, 2011). Wants are an important stage in understanding the needs that drive behavior in reality therapy. In a study, it was found that adolescents want a satisfying job, family, and economic power, and they aspire to have job security, similar to the research results (Briones et al., 2011).

The WDEP system in reality therapy aligns closely with three fundamental processes present in the perception of the future. These three fundamental processes are motivation, planning, and evaluation. In a study on how adolescents perceive the future, it is shown that the goals and interests of adolescents relate to the core developmental tasks of late adolescence and early adulthood, reflecting expected lifelong development. The family context has also been found to influence adolescents’ interests, plans, causal attributions, and emotional responses regarding the future (Nurmi, 2004). Adolescents’ evaluations of the future are categorized under three headings: avoidance of responsibility, striving for goals, and confronting reality. In their expressions, adolescents included concepts representing avoidance behavior, such as procrastination, insufficient effort, external locus of control, perception of obstacles, negative self-efficacy beliefs, negative emotions, and neutrality. The overall structure of avoidance of responsibility may involve behaviors that prevent individuals from accepting their own wrongdoings through faulty attributions, cognitive biases, and distortions. Similarly, in a study where adolescents indicated obstacles to achieving their future expectations, they believed that obstacles stemmed from negative environmental conditions and themselves. Factors such as not working hard enough, fear of failure, exam stress, lack of self-confidence, and laziness are considered obstacles originating from themselves (Ege, 2018). In contrast to these findings, it is also observed that some adolescents are optimistic about their future. It is thought that increasing optimism or reducing pessimism about the future could contribute to a healthy perception of the future.

Adolescents have mentioned action-oriented and emotion-oriented thoughts about the future. In their future plans, they have talked about goal-oriented, family formation, migration, development, economic, and responsibility-oriented behaviors. Expectations, goal setting, planning, and decision-making about the future are important in adolescence, making adolescents’ choices critical. Adolescents have thoughts about the future, such as completing school, building a career, starting a family, having children, experiencing a romantic relationship, having a profession, leading a happy life, achieving economic well-being, taking social responsibility, and maintaining health (Ege & Erbay, 2022). Additionally, it is stated that adolescents’ future goals have a multidimensional structure (Giota, 2010). The results of this study also indicate that adolescents are similarly goal-oriented. The multidimensional nature of adolescents’ plans for the future is a crucial factor to be considered in future studies. In the current behaviors of adolescents, there is observed procrastination, inaction, and a perception of inadequacy. This is a factor that needs attention. Adolescents who do not take responsibility due to procrastination, inaction, and a perception of inadequacy may develop a negative perception of the future. Similarly, adolescents have expressed negative statements such as economic anxiety, future anxiety, negative perception of social order, and thoughts of uncertainty. While waiting for the future, adolescents plan activities to achieve their goals and evaluate the likelihood of achieving them. Emotional components, whether positive or negative, can motivate life planning, decision-making processes, and behaviors by reflecting how much they believe they can influence their future. Having a positive or optimistic orientation toward the future can help adolescents make decisions while preparing for adulthood. An adolescent with a positive future orientation is more willing to set goals, make plans, and be successful in problem-solving, tolerating disappointment, or maintaining flexibility (Neblett & Cortina, 2006). Therefore, studies focusing on encouraging adolescents to make optimistic evaluations and plan for the future become crucial. When the statements of the participants are evaluated in the context of the stages of the WDEP system, it is seen that the psychological and physical needs of adolescents mostly create their wishes. Again, avoiding responsibility is a risk factor for adolescents who think they need to strive for their goals and be action-oriented. however, adolescents prefer their plans to be action-oriented rather than emotion-oriented. In this respect, it can be emphasized that when working with adolescents, the WDEP system will contribute to their awareness, that responsibility should be taken into consideration and that it is important to be action-oriented with plans.

Lastly, adolescents have emphasized the fundamental nature and necessity of all psychological needs and used metaphors to convey this. Adolescents who do not have their psychological needs met are reported to experience emotional and behavioral problems, struggling to establish and manage relationships (Glasser, 2014). In a study, adolescents expressed a greater need for freedom and a lower need for power and control as fundamental needs. It was found that girls expressed a greater need for love and belonging and a lower need for entertainment compared to boys (Harvey & Retter, 2002). Another study found a positive relationship between adolescents’ psychological well-being, psychological needs, and positive outcomes (Hamurcu & Sargın, 2011). Research supports that as psychological needs are met, subjective well-being, motivation, life satisfaction, and the desire for learning increase, leading to more successful initiation and maintenance of relationships (Demirbaş-Çelik, 2018; Guo, 2018). Therefore, the opinions of adolescents regarding the satisfaction of their psychological needs in the future are highly important. In studies examining the level and satisfaction of psychological needs, it has been found that as psychological needs are met, aggression, submissive behavior, and exam anxiety decrease, while motivation, life satisfaction, the desire for learning, and competence increase (Hamurcu & Sargın, 2011; Maralani et al., 2016; Guo, 2018). One of the strengths of this research is the use of metaphors to express psychological needs. Metaphors created separately for each need have specific meanings and qualities. Metaphors are powerful mental maps that can be learned, helping individuals make sense of their lives. No studies have been found in which adolescents’ psychological needs are expressed through metaphors in the literature.

Implications for theory, research and practice

This study provides some important suggestions for new research. Within the scope of this research, suggestions for both research and practice are included. Adolescents’ awareness and healthy fulfillment of their psychological needs are seen as factors that can contribute to the development of a positive future outlook. Therefore, when working with adolescents, interventions focused on understanding and satisfying their psychological needs can be designed. Elements within the quality worlds of adolescents and the total behavior that forms their emotions, thoughts, and actions are seen as influential factors in shaping their perceptions of the future. Consequently, professionals working with adolescents may consider focusing on their cognitive and emotional states, working with distorted cognitions, and supporting adolescents in emotion regulation. In interventions aimed at planning the future with adolescents, the Reality Therapy WDEP system can be employed, especially to understand the status of their desires and aspirations. Metaphors can be utilized to explore the meanings adolescents attach to their psychological needs. Furthermore, based on the guidance of research results, intervention programs can be developed to assist adolescents in forming a positive future outlook and addressing their psychological needs in a healthy manner. Finally, it’s worth noting that this research was conducted in a qualitative design. Future studies could be planned using a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative or experimental designs into the process.

Methodological limitations

The research findings and recommendations come with certain limitations that should be considered. Firstly, the study is exclusively designed in a qualitative manner. Given the qualitative nature of the research and the sample size, different designs may be needed to explain individual variations in experiences related to factors such as age, gender, and birth order. Additionally, the sample is limited to Turkish adolescents. Including different cultures and developmental stages in the research could provide a broader perspective. Lastly, the future outlook and psychological needs are presented from the perspective of reality therapy. Evaluating cases in different theoretical contexts could contribute to the development of a more comprehensive knowledge base for professionals.

Conclusion

This study has evaluated adolescents’ perceptions of the future and psychological needs in the perspective of reality therapy. The adolescents who participated in the research exhibit both positive and negative expressions that can be assessed concerning their perceptions of the future. Moreover, adolescents place importance on needs such as love and belonging, power, freedom, and entertainment, attempting to fulfill them through various means. The study contributes to the literature by examining adolescents’ experiences in the context of the four psychological needs of reality therapy. Additionally, it is observed that adolescents feeling internal control, and having positive emotions and thoughts that constitute their quality worlds and total behaviors are crucial. Finally, it can be stated that the WDEP system is functional in understanding adolescents’ perceptions of the future.