Abstract
The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematize available empirical findings in the field of basic psychological needs and personality traits overlap. Study eligibility criteria were: three basic psychological needs defined within Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness), Five-factor model/Big Five model of personality traits, self-reported data, essential statistical indicators, and independent samples. The final sample included 16 primary studies, 17 independent samples, with 206 independent effect sizes representing more than 10 500 participants. Fifteen independent meta-analysis were performed resulting in 15 statistically significant, small to moderate in size, correlation coefficients between needs and traits. All three needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) had negative correlations with neuroticism, and positive correlations with extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Multiple publication bias indicators left this conclusion unaltered. Due to a relatively small number of primary studies, additional moderator analyses were not performed even though a large amount of heterogeneity was identified. This study is the first to empirically summarize and calculate the existing overlap between constructs from two theoretical perspectives of individual differences.
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The study materials, data and analysis scripts used for this article are available in the manuscript and can be accessed at OSF: https://osf.io/anmv5/?view_only=b5515d808b794534b0476074fa86510d.
Notes
In the remaining of this paper we will address all five personality traits as labeled in the FFM, for simplicity. However, we acknowledge that FFM and B5 are not synonyms.
For a more comprehensive overview of all studies considered for this meta-analysis, please consult Table S1 at OSF https://osf.io/anmv5/?view_only=b5515d808b794534b0476074fa86510d).
If all three basic psychological needs and/or five personality traits were not included in the primary study, effect sizes for all available need-traits correlations were coded and included in the meta-analysis.
The coding manual and the coding plan are available at OSF.
To successfully run the Krippendorff's macro for SPSS, provided by Andrew F. Hayes (https://afhayes.com/spss-sas-and-r-macros-and-code.html), all effect sizes coded by all three independent coders were entered in SPSS as absolute values (e.g., r = -.44 was entered as r = .44) because the agreement between negative estimates was not possible to calculate. Original coding plans as well as SPSS datasets and syntax for coder agreement calculations are available at OSF.
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Conceptualization: [Tena Vukasović Hlupić], Methodology: [Tena Vukasović Hlupić, Martina Pocrnić, Ana Butković, Denis Bratko]; Formal analysis and investigation: [Tena Vukasović Hlupić]; Writing—original draft preparation: [Tena Vukasović Hlupić]; Writing—review and editing: [Tena Vukasović Hlupić, Martina Pocrnić, Ana Butković, Denis Bratko]; Funding acquisition: [Tena Vukasović Hlupić]; Resources: [Tena Vukasović Hlupić, Martina Pocrnić, Ana Butković, Denis Bratko]; Supervision: [Tena Vukasović Hlupić, Martina Pocrnić, Ana Butković, Denis Bratko].
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Vukasović Hlupić, T., Butković, A., Pocrnić, M. et al. The relationship between three basic psychological needs and big five personality traits: A meta-analysis. Curr Psychol 42, 31559–31578 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04158-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04158-9