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Between "we" and "well-being": Do basic psychological needs mediate the relationship between interdependent
Milica Lazić1, Mohsen Joshanloo2, Aleksandar Tomašević3
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Applied Psychology. Health and Well-Being
|July 6, 2026
Summary
Adolescents with a stable collective self-construal report higher subjective well-being (SWB). Changes in self-construal within individuals do not impact SWB, suggesting stable identity patterns are key for adolescent well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- The link between identity and adolescent subjective well-being (SWB) requires further investigation.
- Interdependent self-construal, encompassing relational and collective aspects, is crucial for understanding this relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how relational and collective self-construal relate to adolescent SWB.
- To determine if basic psychological needs satisfaction mediates the link between self-construal and SWB.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with 971 Serbian adolescents surveyed over 12 months.
- Employed random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling to analyze data.
- Assessed subjective well-being (positive affect, negative affect, life satisfaction).
Main Results:
- Consistent collective self-construal positively correlated with overall SWB.
- Consistent relational self-construal linked to higher positive affect, but not life satisfaction or reduced negative affect.
- No significant within-person associations found between self-construal and SWB, nor mediation by psychological needs.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between interdependent self-construal and adolescent SWB is primarily between-person, not within-person.
- Stable self-definition patterns, rather than short-term changes, are more influential for adolescent well-being.
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