Security needs: Some considerations about its integration into the self-determination theory (SDT)

Abstract

According to Self-determination Theory (SDT), there are only three psychological needs - competence, autonomy and relatedness - truly fundamental and essential for human being's health and well-being, which can be satisfied by individuals while engaging in a wide variety of behaviors that may differ among individuals and be differentially manifest in different cultures. However, a number of questions have been raised about SDT's contention that there are only those three basic psychological needs. The present study discusses the possibility that the security need should be considered as a basic need and its relation to the accepted three basic psychological needs. Using the Cultural Theory framework the degree of satisfaction of the basic needs, depending on the type of culture, is also presented.