IMPACT OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED AND SATISFACTION ON MARITAL ADJUSTMENT, MEDIATING ROLE OF PROBLEMATIC INTERNET USAGE

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and marital adjustment, while assessing the mediating role of problematic internet usage among married individuals. Methods: A correlational research design was employed, involving 200 married participants (79 males, 121 females) aged between 25 and 35 years. Participants were selected using a combination of random, purposive, and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected using the Basic Psychological Needs and Satisfaction Scale (BPNSS; α = .825), the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS; α = .780), and the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS; α = .825). All scales demonstrated strong internal consistency, and the dataset met normality assumptions based on skewness and kurtosis values. Results: Basic psychological needs were found to be a significant positive predictor of marital adjustment (β = .406, p < 0.05), explaining 16.5% of the variance. Problematic internet usage was significantly negatively associated with marital adjustment (β = –.255, p < 0.05), contributing to an increased model variance explanation of 22.9%. However, the relationship between basic psychological needs and problematic internet use was positive but statistically non-significant (r = .072, p > 0.05), and no mediating effect was observed. Conclusion: The study highlights the essential role of psychological need fulfillment in enhancing marital quality while cautioning against the adverse effects of excessive internet use. These findings carry important implications for marital counseling, digital behavior regulation, and psychological interventions.