Self-determination theory · Deci & Ryan
Basic psychological needs test
According to the self-determination theory of Deci and Ryan, whether you thrive or get stuck depends on three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. This test uses the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS) to measure how well those three are satisfied right now.
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In short
A basic psychological needs test measures how well three psychological needs are satisfied: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Those three come from the self-determination theory of Edward Deci and Richard Ryan; Innerscape measures them with the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS, 21 statements). It does not measure who you are, but how your life feels right now — and where one of the three chafes. Looking for Maslow’s hierarchy or the core needs of schema therapy? Those are different models; the difference is explained further down.
What are basic psychological needs in self-determination theory?
Basic psychological needs are the fundamental conditions for growth, motivation and well-being. According to the self-determination theory (SDT) of Edward Deci and Richard Ryan there are three, and they apply to everyone, in every culture: the need for autonomy, for competence and for relatedness.
The difference from ordinary wishes is that these needs are not optional. When they are satisfied, intrinsic motivation emerges and you thrive. When they are frustrated — by control, failure or isolation — your functioning suffers, often without you being able to say exactly why. The test maps which of the three gets room and which is squeezed.
Autonomy, competence and relatedness
Autonomy
The sense that you direct your own life and act from your own will — not because you have to, but because you choose to.
Competence
The sense that you are effective, good at things and growing. The experience of having a grip on what you do.
Relatedness
The sense of mutual connection with others: belonging, caring about people and knowing that they care about you.
Maslow’s needs or schema therapy’s? What this test does and does not measure
‘Basic needs’ does not mean the same thing everywhere. Three well-known models talk about fundamental needs, each with a different list and a different purpose. This test measures one of them: the basic psychological needs of self-determination theory.
Self-determination theory
Edward Deci and Richard Ryan
Three basic psychological needs that stand side by side: autonomy, competence and relatedness.
Explaining when motivation and well-being thrive or falter, at work, in relationships and in daily life.
This test measures this model, with the BPNS.
Maslow
Abraham Maslow, 1943
Five levels: physiological needs, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. In his theory, a lower need comes first.
A general theory of motivation, often drawn as a pyramid.
This test does not measure it: the BPNS does not ask about safety or self-actualization.
Schema therapy
Jeffrey Young, Janet Klosko and Marjorie Weishaar, 2003
Five core emotional needs from childhood, including secure attachment, autonomy and realistic limits.
A therapy: if those needs went unmet in childhood, schemas can develop that you map with a therapist.
This test does not measure it: it is about your life now and identifies no schemas.
There is overlap: schema therapy also names autonomy and competence, and Maslow names love and belonging. But if you want to get to know your own schemas or are looking for Maslow’s pyramid, this test will not give you that answer. If you want to know whether autonomy, competence and relatedness get enough room in your life right now, it will.
How do you measure basic psychological needs? The BPNS
Researchers measure basic psychological needs with the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS), developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan from their self-determination theory. The questionnaire Innerscape uses consists of 21 statements, divided across the three needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. For each statement you indicate on a 7-point scale how true it is of your daily life.
The strength of the BPNS is that it does not measure what you achieve, but how satisfied you feel. Someone can be outwardly successful and still have a deeply frustrated need for autonomy — the sense of being steered by expectations instead of being at the helm yourself. The scale makes that kind of hidden tension visible. Innerscape combines your needs profile with seven other scientific questionnaires into one coherent picture.
You get a score per need: your average on the 7-point scale, with a percentile that compares it with the population. A high score means the need is well satisfied right now; a low score means it is getting little room.
Why know your basic psychological needs?
→Motivation— Satisfied basic needs are the fuel of intrinsic motivation. If you know which need is squeezed, you also know why your energy or drive is fading.
→Well-being— Together, autonomy, competence and relatedness predict a large part of your psychological well-being. Frustration of one of them often explains a lingering sense of unrest.
→Choices— Knowing which need is unmet gives direction to your choices: seeking more control, showing what you can do, or making real connections instead of keeping your distance.
→The bigger picture— Combined with your personality, values and attachment style, your needs profile shows where your life rubs against what you fundamentally need.
Sources
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.
Young, J. E., Klosko, J. S., & Weishaar, M. E. (2003). Schema therapy: A practitioner’s guide. Guilford Press.
Written by Remco Volmer, founder of Innerscape.
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Start your journeyFrequently asked questions
What are basic psychological needs?+
According to self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan), everyone has three universal basic psychological needs: autonomy (directing your own life), competence (feeling capable) and relatedness (feeling connected to others). When they are satisfied you thrive; when they are frustrated, motivation and well-being falter.
Can I influence my basic psychological needs?+
The needs themselves are universal and do not change. What does change is how well they are satisfied — and that depends heavily on your environment: your work, your relationships, the amount of choice you experience. Insight shows where it chafes.
How many questions does the basic psychological needs test have?+
21 statements about how you experience your daily life, on a 7-point scale. Done in about three minutes.
What exactly does the test measure?+
The extent to which your three basic psychological needs — autonomy, competence and relatedness — are satisfied right now. Not your personality, but how your current life feels.
Is this Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?+
No. In 1943 Maslow described five levels of needs, from physiological needs and safety to self-actualization. This test measures the three basic psychological needs of Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory: autonomy, competence and relatedness.
Does this test measure the core emotional needs of schema therapy?+
No. The schema therapy of Young, Klosko and Weishaar starts from five core emotional needs in childhood and, with a therapist, maps the schemas that can develop when those needs went unmet. This test measures how well autonomy, competence and relatedness are satisfied now, and identifies no schemas.