Basic psychological needs in relationships with parents and best friend and identity statuses among Turkish emerging adults

Abstract

The present study a) compared emerging adults’ perceived basic psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness, competence) satisfaction (BPNS) in their relationships with their parents and best friends b) examined the links between BPNS and identity statuses (achievement, moratorium, foreclosure, diffusion) c) examined the links between each psychological need and identity statuses in each relationship. A total of 396 emerging adults participated in the study. The perceived BPNS in one’s relationship with his/her mother and one’s best friend was found to be higher than the BPNS with one’s father; further, the BPNS in one’s relationship with one’s best friend was higher than that in one’s relationship with one’s mother – but only among females. Structural equation modeling (SEM), conducted to examine the links between BPNS and identity statuses, showed that the BPNS in participants’ relationship with their friend was positively linked with achievement and inversely linked with moratorium, foreclosure, and diffusion. The BPNS in one’s relationship with one’s mother was positively linked with achievement and negatively linked with moratorium. Higher BPNS in one’s relationship with ones’s father was linked only with higher foreclosure. BPNS in their relationships with best friends predicted four identity statuses. Competence was linked positively with identity achievement and negatively linked with the other identity statuses across the three relationships. Overall, findings underlined the importance of close friendships in the pursuit of identity and the satisfaction of the basic need for competence across the three relationships.