The influence of need crafting on subjective vitality among young adult and the role of three psychological needs satisfaction

Abstract

Subjective vitality is considered an important indicator of mental well-being, especially among young people. This study aims to explore the impact of need crafting on subjective vitality and further examine the mediating role of basic psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness and competence). The study used a cross-sectional design and measured need crafting , the degree of satisfaction of three basic psychological needs and the level of subjective vitality through a self-report questionnaire. In total, 165 young people aged 18 to 25 years old were included. The results of the mediation effect analysis showed that need crafting significantly and positively predicted subjective vitality. Among them, the satisfaction of autonomy and competence needs played a significant mediating role in the relationship between the need crafting and subjective vitality, while the mediating effect of relatedness needs satisfaction was not significant. The results show that individuals actively changing their own cognition, environment and behavior to meet their psychological needs, especially enhancing autonomy and competence, which is an effective way to improve their subjective vitality. The research results further expand the scope of application of need crafting in young adults and support its use as a strategy to enhance psychological energy and daily positive experience. In addition, this study also provides theoretical basis and practical implications for promoting vitality in colleges and caring for new employees. Future research can use longitudinal experimental design to further verify the causal path and explore the moderating role of cultural factors in different psychological needs satisfaction paths.