determinants of perceived well-being in friendship relationships during emerging adulthood: testing a structural model based on self-determination theory

Purpose: this study aimed to investigate the critical determinants of perceived well-being in friendship relationships during emerging adulthood.methodology: a sample of 726 undergraduate students at ferdowsi university of mashhad was selected during the fall semester of 2021-2022 through the convenience sampling method.they completed the interpersonal behaviors questionnaire (ibq; rocchi et al., 2017), the compassionate and self-image goals scale (csigs; crocker & canevello, 2008), the basic need satisfaction in relationships scale (bns-rs; la guardia et al., 2000), the interpersonal needs questionnaire (inq-10; bryan., 2011), the friendship self-regulation questionnaire (srq-f; ryan & connell, 1989), interpersonal behaviors questionnaire-self (ibq-self; rocchi et al., 2017), the state level subjective vitality scale (svs-sl; ryan & frederick, 1997), the perceived relationship quality component (prqc; fletcher et al., 2000), and the the basic empathy scale (bes; jolliffe & farrington, 2006). data analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling. all statistical analyses were conducted using spss.25, amos.24, and smartpls 3.3.3.findings: the perceived support of basic psychological needs by friends (β=.204), the perceived thwarting of basic psychological needs by friends (β=-.147), the goal in friendship relationships (β=.234), the satisfied basic psychological needs (β=.124), the frustrated psychological needs (β=-.116), and the friendship self-regulation (β= .023) had significant indirect effects on perceived well-being in friendship relationships (p<0.05).conclusion: the findings demonstrate that self-determination theory provides a coherent framework for explaining perceived well-being in friendships.