Temporal stability of need satisfaction and frustration profiles and their association with motivational functioning

This study examined profiles of need satisfaction and frustration among secondary school students ( N = 548) in physical education, stability over two months' time, and associations with students' motivation. Using a bifactor exploratory structural equation model, we examined students' global need fulfillment alongside specific autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction and frustration. We contribute to theory in two ways. First, we identified meaningful subpopulations of secondary school physical education students. Global need fulfillment explained differences for the majority of students (Profile 3; 61.6%), displaying a need-based in-tandem pattern associated with adaptive motivational outcomes. However, the inclusion of specific need satisfaction and frustration components uncovered two important subgroups (Profile 2, 33.0%; Profile 1, 5.4%) characterized by slightly (Profile 2) and more (Profile 1) unbalanced profiles. These subgroups, associated with maladaptive outcomes, would have been overlooked using only global measures. Second, profile membership proved to be highly stable within students over a relatively short period. The most valuable implication for education is that negative motivational outcomes (i.e., controlled motivation and amotivation) can be driven by various combinations of need-based experiences. Teachers could experiment with a wide range of motivational behaviors ( Ahmadi et al., 2023 ) to counter negative motivational outcomes. However, for a subgroup of students (33.0%; Profile 2), characterized by higher levels of controlled motivation, especially those behaviors that aim to diminish relatedness frustration may be helpful. Teachers can, for instance, refrain from rejecting these students and show them unconditional regard. For another group of students (5.4%; Profile 1), characterized by higher levels of amotivation, especially those behaviors that aim to diminish autonomy frustration, may be effective. Teachers can, for instance, refrain from pressuring these students, use inviting language, allow their input or choice, or teach in students' preferred ways. Teachers could target specific students who need it the most, in pursuit of transitioning more students into more highly fulfilled profiles. Such experiments are particularly valuable, as students who feel more controlled or amotivated compared to their peers may demand a disproportionate share of the teacher's classroom management efforts. • Using a bifactor ESEM, we studied students' global and specific components of need satisfaction and frustration • The global component explained differences for most students (Profile 1, 61.6%), representing a balanced profile • Specific need satisfaction and frustration components revealed Profile 2 (33.0%) and Profile 1 (5.4%) as unbalanced • Profile 1 was associated with adaptive outcomes, whereas Profiles 2 and 3 were associated with maladaptive outcomes • Profile membership remained highly stable (91.2%) within students over two months