Emerging adults (18-30 years old) may be vulnerable to reduced well-being and psychological need satisfaction, which refer to a meta-theory of self-determination theory which reflects the degree to which individuals feel skilled (competence), connected to others (relatedness) and in control of their own decisions (autonomy) (Deci & Ryan, 2011). Increasing psychological need satisfaction represents one promising strategy for increasing well-being (Mackenzie, Karaoylas, & Starzyk, 2018). To date no positive psychology interventions have been created specifically to foster need satisfaction; however, four interventions have examined need satisfaction as an outcome. In this study, these four positive psychology interventions were tested to determine which ones most increased well-being, overall need satisfaction, and each individual dimension of need satisfaction. Additionally, this study sought to extend previous research to emerging adult populations by testing whether the impact of interventions on well-being is mediated by need satisfaction, and whether balanced need satisfaction (i.e., feeling similar levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness vs. feeling highly satisfied with some needs but less satisfied with others) contributes to well-being for emerging adults. In a pretest-posttest experimental design, 335 emerging adults were randomized to one of four experimental conditions (random acts of kindness, character strengths, self-affirmations, or best possible selves) or a control condition for a period of two weeks. Results indicated that participants completing acts of kindness and self-affirmation activities showed the largest increases in need satisfaction and well-being. The results of this study failed to replicate previous studies, indicating that positive psychology interventions may not have the potential to increase well-being indirectly by increasing need satisfaction directly. Additionally, this study failed to replicate the importance of balanced need satisfaction score on well-being. Thus, the results of this study do not support that balanced need satisfaction scores significantly add to well-being in emerging adults. This study represents the first step in designing positive psychology interventions for cultivating need satisfaction among emerging adult populations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>Emerging adults (18-30 years old) may be vulnerable to reduced well-being and psychological need satisfaction, which refer to a meta-theory of self-determination theory which reflects the degree to which individuals feel skilled (competence), connected to others (relatedness) and in control of their own decisions (autonomy) (Deci & Ryan, 2011). Increasing psychological need satisfaction represents one promising strategy for increasing well-being (Mackenzie, Karaoylas, & Starzyk, 2018). To date no positive psychology interventions have been created specifically to foster need satisfaction; however, four interventions have examined need satisfaction as an outcome. In this study, these four positive psychology interventions were tested to determine which ones most increased well-being, overall need satisfaction, and each individual dimension of need satisfaction. Additionally, this study sought to extend previous research to emerging adult populations by testing whether the impact of interventions on well-being is mediated by need satisfaction, and whether balanced need satisfaction (i.e., feeling similar levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness vs. feeling highly satisfied with some needs but less satisfied with others) contributes to well-being for emerging adults. In a pretest-posttest experimental design, 335 emerging adults were randomized to one of four experimental conditions (random acts of kindness, character strengths, self-affirmations, or best possible selves) or a control condition for a period of two weeks. Results indicated that participants completing acts of kindness and self-affirmation activities showed the largest increases in need satisfaction and well-being. The results of this study failed to replicate previous studies, indicating that positive psychology interventions may not have the potential to increase well-being indirectly by increasing need satisfaction directly. Additionally, this study failed to replicate the importance of balanced need satisfaction score on well-being. Thus, the results of this study do not support that balanced need satisfaction scores significantly add to well-being in emerging adults. This study represents the first step in designing positive psychology interventions for cultivating need satisfaction among emerging adult populations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mangan, Susan"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Psychology, PhD","degree_level":"Open Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"School of Social Science, Politics, and Evaluation","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Tiffany Berry","Jeanne Nakamura","Sarah Schnikter"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:40:22Z","subjects":["Emerging Adulthood","Need Satisfaction","Positive Activity Intervention","Positive Psychology Intervention","Well-Being","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/637","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Tiffany Berry","Jeanne Nakamura","Sarah Schnikter"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mangan, Susan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["School of Social Science, Politics, and Evaluation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Psychology, PhD"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Emerging Adulthood","Need Satisfaction","Positive Activity Intervention","Positive Psychology Intervention","Well-Being","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/637"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Emerging adults (18-30 years old) may be vulnerable to reduced well-being and psychological need satisfaction, which refer to a meta-theory of self-determination theory which reflects the degree to which individuals feel skilled (competence), connected to others (relatedness) and in control of their own decisions (autonomy) (Deci & Ryan, 2011). Increasing psychological need satisfaction represents one promising strategy for increasing well-being (Mackenzie, Karaoylas, & Starzyk, 2018). To date no positive psychology interventions have been created specifically to foster need satisfaction; however, four interventions have examined need satisfaction as an outcome. In this study, these four positive psychology interventions were tested to determine which ones most increased well-being, overall need satisfaction, and each individual dimension of need satisfaction. Additionally, this study sought to extend previous research to emerging adult populations by testing whether the impact of interventions on well-being is mediated by need satisfaction, and whether balanced need satisfaction (i.e., feeling similar levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness vs. feeling highly satisfied with some needs but less satisfied with others) contributes to well-being for emerging adults. In a pretest-posttest experimental design, 335 emerging adults were randomized to one of four experimental conditions (random acts of kindness, character strengths, self-affirmations, or best possible selves) or a control condition for a period of two weeks. Results indicated that participants completing acts of kindness and self-affirmation activities showed the largest increases in need satisfaction and well-being. The results of this study failed to replicate previous studies, indicating that positive psychology interventions may not have the potential to increase well-being indirectly by increasing need satisfaction directly. Additionally, this study failed to replicate the importance of balanced need satisfaction score on well-being. Thus, the results of this study do not support that balanced need satisfaction scores significantly add to well-being in emerging adults. This study represents the first step in designing positive psychology interventions for cultivating need satisfaction among emerging adult populations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Onward and Upward: Strategies to Boost Need Satisfaction in Emerging Adulthood"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Tiffany Berry","Jeanne Nakamura","Sarah Schnikter"],"dc:creator":["Mangan, Susan"],"dc:date.available":["2023-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Emerging adults (18-30 years old) may be vulnerable to reduced well-being and psychological need satisfaction, which refer to a meta-theory of self-determination theory which reflects the degree to which individuals feel skilled (competence), connected to others (relatedness) and in control of their own decisions (autonomy) (Deci & Ryan, 2011). Increasing psychological need satisfaction represents one promising strategy for increasing well-being (Mackenzie, Karaoylas, & Starzyk, 2018). To date no positive psychology interventions have been created specifically to foster need satisfaction; however, four interventions have examined need satisfaction as an outcome. In this study, these four positive psychology interventions were tested to determine which ones most increased well-being, overall need satisfaction, and each individual dimension of need satisfaction. Additionally, this study sought to extend previous research to emerging adult populations by testing whether the impact of interventions on well-being is mediated by need satisfaction, and whether balanced need satisfaction (i.e., feeling similar levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness vs. feeling highly satisfied with some needs but less satisfied with others) contributes to well-being for emerging adults. In a pretest-posttest experimental design, 335 emerging adults were randomized to one of four experimental conditions (random acts of kindness, character strengths, self-affirmations, or best possible selves) or a control condition for a period of two weeks. Results indicated that participants completing acts of kindness and self-affirmation activities showed the largest increases in need satisfaction and well-being. The results of this study failed to replicate previous studies, indicating that positive psychology interventions may not have the potential to increase well-being indirectly by increasing need satisfaction directly. Additionally, this study failed to replicate the importance of balanced need satisfaction score on well-being. Thus, the results of this study do not support that balanced need satisfaction scores significantly add to well-being in emerging adults. This study represents the first step in designing positive psychology interventions for cultivating need satisfaction among emerging adult populations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/637"],"dc:subject":["Emerging Adulthood","Need Satisfaction","Positive Activity Intervention","Positive Psychology Intervention","Well-Being","Psychology"],"dc:title":["Onward and Upward: Strategies to Boost Need Satisfaction in Emerging Adulthood"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["School of Social Science, Politics, and Evaluation"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Psychology, PhD"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:40:22Z"}