Sustainable development and sustainable living, a key pursuit of our times, must be premised on human well-being in order to be truly sustainable. Although many have speculated on the possible interaction between sustainable lifestyle practices and the well-being, or satisfaction, of practitioners, there has been limited empirical study of this connection. The purpose of this study was to explore how people experience satisfaction and frustration in conjunction with the practice of a sustainable lifestyle. Semi-structured interviews were completed with six sustainable lifestyle practitioners associated with Transition Victoria, a community resilience initiative in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Interview transcripts were synthesized into explanatory narratives highlighting experienced outcomes of a sustainable lifestyle practice. A further thematic analysis was completed to identify themes to which participants attributed meaning and potential satisfaction. The results of this analysis were interpreted to draw conclusions about the sorts of satisfying and frustrating experiences that were related to sustainable lifestyle practices for these participants. Results of the study revealed twenty-six salient themes of important, potentially satisfying phenomena anticipated and experienced by participants. These included needs for food, shelter, transportation, money, health, well-being, relationships, connection, communication, support, recognition, legitimacy, effectiveness, autonomy, action, enjoyment, knowledge, interest, nature, meaning, and identity, and also needs to pursue certain values. Various actions, relationships, and contexts constituting sustainable lifestyles had implications for both satisfying and frustrating essential needs for security, belonging, esteem, competence, knowledge, creativity, leisure, and autonomy. In addition, the pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle was related to the need for and satisfaction of meaning. The results of this study suggest that, for this small group of participants, sustainable lifestyles hold multiple opportunities for satisfaction and frustration of various needs. Groups wanting to support sustainable lifestyle practitioners might consider ways to maximize opportunities for satisfaction and meaning, and minimize sources of frustration. It is recommended to conduct further research with a larger sample of participants, to extend these findings to more general conclusions about human experiences with sustainable living. / Graduate

This thesis is presented as a collection of four studies in which the associations between athlete attachment styles, perceptions of basic psychological needs, and experiences of well/ill-being are examined. The first study of this thesis examined the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction, within the coach and parent relational contexts, in the associations between athletes (N = 430) global attachment styles and their experiences of well-being. Results demonstrated that satisfaction of the athletes basic psychological needs did mediate the associations between attachment styles and well-being. Study 2 examined whether mean differences and changes in athletes (N = 110) attachment style predicted psychological need satisfaction, within two relational contexts (coach and parent), and well-being, and whether mean differences and changes in need satisfaction within the relational contexts predicted well-being. Findings from the study provide further support for the role of attachment in need satisfaction and well-being within sport psychology, as well as highlighting important within- and between-person effects. Study 3 aimed to examine the possible social mechanisms that affect insecure athletes (N = 215) perceptions of basic need satisfaction. The social factors investigated as possible mediators were social support, interpersonal conflict, autonomy supportive behaviours, and controlling behaviours, each examined within both the coach and parent relational contexts. The findings of Study 3 highlighted that social factors have an important role in explaining the associations between athletes insecure attachment styles and their perceptions of basic psychological need satisfaction within two important relationships. The final study presented in this thesis aimed to focus on how thwarting of athletes basic psychological needs impacted upon athletes experiences of both well- and ill-being. Study 4 also measured athletes (N = 241) attachment styles to the coach specifically. Findings revealed that when athletes perceptions of their basic psychological needs were actively thwarted, within both aforementioned contexts, athletes insecure attachment to the coach impacted upon experiences of well- and ill-being. Overall, the findings of the current research have supplied new knowledge and understanding concerning athletes psychological functioning through the employment of established theoretical frameworks.

The purpose of this research was to explore the interplay between coach transformational leadership and coach-athlete relationship, and the effect on athletes' positive psychological outcomes though three separate studies. The research positioned both transformational leadership and coach-athlete relationship as distinct yet highly related factors of a social environment created by coaches.

The motivation behind the revival and development of roller derby may provide valuable insight to the structure of established sports regarding athlete engagement, drop-out, and well-being. To investigate the relationship of the cross-theoretical concepts, self-reported satisfaction and thwarting of basic psychological needs, and peer motivational climate of 255 high-level flat track roller derby athletes was examined in a cross-sectional design. Hierarchal regression analysis showed low effects of basic needs satisfaction on performance. Basic psychological need satisfaction and thwarting predicted 63% of the experienced task-involved motivational climate variance and 25% of ego-involved motivational climate. Relatedness proved strongest in predicting both types of peer motivational climates. In conclusion, the employed study method, limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research are discussed. / Motivationen bakom återuppväckandet och utvecklingen av roller derby kan bidra med värdefull insikt i etablerade idrotters struktur gällande idrottares engagemang, avhopp, och välmående. Studiens syfte var att undersöka relationen mellan tvär-teoretiska koncept. Med en tvärsnittsdesign undersöks självrapporterad upplevelse av tillfredsställda och nedtryckta psykologiska behov, samt motivationsklimat hos 255 högpresterande flat track roller derby idrottare. Hierarkisk regressionsanalys påvisade svag effekt av behovstillfredsställelse på prestation. Grundläggande psykologisk behovstillfredsställelse och nedtryck förklarade 63% av variansen i det uppgiftsorienterade motivationsklimatet, och 25% av det ego-orienterade motivationsklimatet. Samhörighet visade på störst förutsägbarhet på båda typerna av motivationsklimat. Avslutningsvis diskuteras studiens metod och begränsningar, samt förslag på framtida studier.

The Casamance conflict for decades has been unable to produce a sustained peace settlement. This project utilised among others, the relative deprivation and basic human needs satisfaction theories respectively and concludes that the conflict is underpinned by relative deprivation, strongly felt and driven by the elite group. Both the current phase as well as in the past, the conflict has been driven and to an extent manipulated by these elite, motivated by self-empowerment. Masked under the struggle of a relatively deprived masses into collective violence, seeded in a classic social conflict of a type rooted in stereotyping, marginalisation and underdevelopment, primarily driven by basic human needs dissatisfaction expressed in terms of the levels of poverty.   These stemmed in part from the colonial pass which set into motion the continuous suppression and segregation of the Casamance region. In particular, of the Diola ethnic identity thus, the conflict’s ethno nationalists dimension. This research presents a deprivation approach strategy to peace making, which among other factors includes addressing the socioeconomic and political causes of the conflict and also one that underscores the relevance of a credible third party involvement to resolving the dispute between a fractured MFDC and a reluctant Government of Senegal.

There is an ongoing need for educational psychologists, researchers, policymakers, educators, and parents to continue to identify and understand the academic and nonacademic factors that influence academic achievement. Recent studies have documented the steady decline in the academic performances of students from Grades 7 to 9. The purpose of this study was to examine the statistical relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction in relationship with caregivers, mindsets of intelligence, and academic achievement among secondary school students in the Commonwealth of Dominica. This study was grounded in the self-determination theory and mindsets of intelligence theory. A non-experimental correlational design using survey methodology was used for this study. Participants were 143 3rd year secondary school students ages 11 through 15. The participants’ academic achievement, mindsets of intelligence and their basic psychological needs satisfaction in relationship with their caregivers, were measured. The data were analyzed using standard multiple regression. The results of the study found a significant inverse relationship between the relatedness component of psychological needs satisfaction and academic achievement. Additionally, higher mindset of intelligence scores significantly predicted higher scores in math, English, and science in the participants first and second years of secondary school. The positive social change implications of this study may equip policymakers, teachers, and parents with the relevant information needed to design and implement programs aimed at improving the academic achievement of secondary school students

Servant leaders seek to fulfill the needs of followers and promote their success and well-being through a follower-centric, generative approach to leadership. This study proposes a model to describe the mediating mechanism of follower needs satisfaction, as proposed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), for the relationship between servant leadership (SL) behaviors and employee outcomes (e.g., job performance, job attitudes, well-being, community prosocial behavior). Supervisor-subordinate dyads (N = 147 pairs) from four diverse organizations completed surveys about the supervisors' leadership behaviors and the subordinates' job experiences. Structural equation modeling and regression analyses were conducted to determine the nature of relationships between SL, SDT needs, and the organizational outcomes. Direct and indirect effects were observed among these variables, suggesting SDT primarily mediates the relationship between supervisors' SL behaviors and subordinates' job attitudes.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hospitality Management & Dietetics / Chihyung Ok / Academics and practitioners alike have studied the concept of person-environment fit (P-E fit) during the last two decades. How well a person fits the work environment may be an effective indicator of attitudes and behaviors in organizations. P-E fit is not completely conceptualized, so existing studies of fit theory have focused only on particular dimensions of fit leading to contradictory results. Therefore, Study 1, using multi-dimensional environment fit, tested relationships among the environment fits, work related attitudes, and outcomes at the individual, group, and organization levels. In addition, Study 2 examined the effect of relationship qualities between hierarchical levels (supervisor-subordinate) and multi-dimensional fit on employee turnover intention. To empirically test the proposed relationships, 288 foodservice employees at continuing care retirement communities (22 facilities) statewide submitted questionnaires. Of these, 261 and 254 were usable in study 1 and study 2, respectively, for further data analysis. The results of structural equation modeling (Study 1) suggested that employee need-supply fit, demand-ability fit, person-group fit, and person-organization fit were positively related to employee need satisfaction. Further, need satisfaction was positively related to outcome variables like work engagement, interpersonal citizenship behavior, and organizational commitment. Results of hierarchical multiple regressions (for Study 2) showed that employee need-supply fit perception related negatively to turnover intention. The study also found that the leader-member exchange relationship moderated the need-supply fit and turnover intention. Thus, a close exchange relationship between leaders and subordinates could keep subordinates from leaving because of a need-supply misfit. Further discussion and managerial implications of the findings along with directions for future studies are provided.

The aim of the diploma thesis is to map out the subjective view of volunteers on the psychosocial needs of patients at the Long-term care department in the Královské Vinohrady Faculty Hospital. The work first focuses on the characteristics of patients in a long-term treatment. It also provides the overview of their psychological and social needs and about those who play a role in meeting these needs. The reconnaissance survey identifies areas where volunteers complement the work of social workers and care staff. In the evaluation, the results of the interviews with volunteers are compared with the opinions of the patients themselves

Studiens syfte var att undersöka om (a) självbestämmande motivation medierar sambandet mellan behovstillfredsställelse och idrottsrelaterad utbrändhet. Samt om (b) kontrollerad motivation medierar sambandet mellan behovstillfredsställelse och idrottsrelaterad utbrändhet. Föreliggande studie är en kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie och datainsamling genomfördes via tillgänglighetsurval. Totalt deltog 138 Crossfit deltagare i åldrarna 19 - 58 år (M= 32.19, Sd= 9.02). Baserat på studies syftet skapades två hypoteser som vidare testades i varsin medieringsanalys. Medieringsanalys 1 kunde inte bekräfta hypotesmodell 1 då resultatet påvisar en icke signifikant indirekt effekt mellan behovstillfredsställelse och idrottsrelaterad utbrändhet via självbestämmande motivation. Å andra sidan kunde medieringsanalys 2 bekräfta hypotesmodell 2 eftersom resultatet visar en signifikant indirekt effekt mellan behovstillfredsställelse och idrottsrelaterad utbrändhet via kontrollerad motivation. Resultatet tydliggör förståelsen av att kontrollerad motivation inom Crossfit anses bidrar med lägre grad av behovstillfredsställelse och ökar risken för utveckling av idrottsrelaterad utbrändhet. / The purpose of the study was to investigate if (a) self-determining motivation mediates the correlation between psychological need satisfaction and athletic burnout. Also, if (b) controlled motivation mediates the correlation between psychological need satisfaction and athletic burnout. The current study is a quantitative cross-sectional study. Data was collected by accessibility sampling. There were 138 Crossfit participants who participated in the ages 19 - 58 (M= 32.19, Sd= 9.02). Based on the purpose of the study were two hypotheses created and tested in two separated mediation analysis. Mediation analysis 1 in the study could not accept hypotheses 1, based on the result which indicated no significant indirect effect between psychological need satisfaction and athletic burnout through self- determination motivation. Opposite, mediation analysis 2 could accept hypotheses 2 based on the result which indicated a significant indirect effect between psychological need satisfaction and athletic burnout through controlled motivation. The results illustrate the understanding of controlled motivation in Crossfit because it contributes lower psychological need satisfaction and higher the risk of developing athletic burnout.