Emotion and Appraisal Profiles of the Needs for Competence and Relatedness

Abstract

This study examined the emotion and appraisal correlates of the needs for Competence and Relatedness. Using experience-sampling, fluctuations of competence and relatedness throughout a day's period were found to correspond to fluctuations in emotions and appraisals in ways theoretically consistent with the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Each need was related in specific ways to the six emotions examined (anger, sadness, fear, guilt, shame, and joy) and, more interesting, was characterized by a specific appraisal-profile. Implications of these findings for needs processes are discussed.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by grant no. R-107-000-007-012 from the National University of Singapore with supplemental funds from the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore Police Force. We thank Phoebe C. Ellsworth for numerous valuable comments.

Notes

†p < .10, ∗p < .05, ∗∗p < .01, ∗∗∗p < .001.

¹The negative emotions were reported very infrequently and their distributions followed Poisson distributions. This was commonly found in other studies (e.g., Williams, Suls, Alliger, Learner, & Wan, 1991). An alternative way to analyze the negative emotions is Poisson regression. Similar results were obtained when Poisson regressions were used.

Note. High-loading items are in bold.