The Longitudinal Relationship between Social Support and College Adjustment: The Mediation of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Moderation of Intentional Self-Regulation

Liao Youguo; Chen Jianwen; Liu Yan; Chen Yirong

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250109

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Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2025, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (1) : 86-96. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250109

The Longitudinal Relationship between Social Support and College Adjustment: The Mediation of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Moderation of Intentional Self-Regulation

Liao Youguo¹, Chen Jianwen², Liu Yan³, Chen Yirong⁴

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Abstract

In recent years, approximately 10 million young people enter college each year in China. According to the life course theory, the transition from high school to college represents a significant turning point in an individual's life trajectory, and the adjustment during this period can profoundly influence their future development. Consequently, it is of significant positive importance to explore the influencing mechanism behind college students' adjustment. The stress buffer model of social support posits that social support acts as a buffer against the adverse effects of stressful events, thereby positively influencing college adjustment. However, previous studies have predominantly employed cross-sectional designs, which have proven inadequate for establishing causality. Furthermore, the self-determination theory posits that individuals possess three basic psychological needs, when these needs are met, individuals tend to progress towards self-improvement and exhibit positive outcomes in terms of adaptation. Consequently, social support can promote adjustment by fulfilling individuals' psychological needs. The ecological systems theory posits that adolescent development emerges from the interplay between personal attributes and environmental influences, including familial and scholastic elements. Among them, intentional self-regulation stands out as a significant factor at the individual level. Based on the aforementioned theoretical perspectives, the present study aims to explore the influence of social support on college adjustment, as well as the function of basic psychological needs satisfaction and intentional self-regulation.
The study recruited 5519 college freshmen (46.60% male) from 20 universities. Data were collected in three waves. Participants completed the Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire, the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale at time 1. After a 5-week interval (time 2), they completed the Basic Psychological Needs Scales and the Intentional Self- regulation Test. After an interval of 5 weeks (time 3), they completed the Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire. A total of 4668 valid questionnaires were collected.
In this study, SPSS26.0 was used to conduct descriptive analysis and correlation analysis. PROCESS 3.5 was used for simple mediation model analysis and moderated mediation model analysis. The correlational analysis showed that social support, college adjustment, basic psychological needs satisfaction and intentional self-regulation were positively correlated respectively. We took family origin, parental education level, family economic status, initial college adjustment, and resilience as control variables. The results showed that: (1) Social support significantly positively predicted college adjustment. (2) The satisfaction of basic psychological needs played a partial mediating role in the relationship. (3) Intentional self-regulation played a moderating role in the model, could enhance the promoting effect of the satisfaction of basic psychological needs on college adjustment, and social support on basic psychological needs satisfaction.
The current study has significantly advanced our understanding of the longitudinal relationship between social support and the process of college adjustment, while also illuminating the important role of the basic psychological needs satisfaction and intentional self-regulation. Our findings have positive implications for the promotion of freshmen' s college adjustment. On the one hand, we must recognize the beneficial role of social support and bolster the strength derived from various sources to facilitate the adjustment of freshmen. In the context of freshmen adjustment within educational practices, universities ought to establish a social support system that encompasses both the entities providing support and the varieties of support available. On the other hand, it is imperative to bolster psychological resources, focus on psychological needs, and ignite the intrinsic motivation for self-development among college freshmen. Universities should focus on meeting students' basic psychological needs and enhancing their capacity for intentional self-regulation. Educators should understand students' basic psychological needs, establish environments that fulfill their basic psychological needs throughout the educational, administrative, and service processes, and foster intentional self-regulation in the course of mental health education.

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college adjustment / social support / basic psychological needs satisfaction / intentional self-regulation

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Liao Youguo, Chen Jianwen, Liu Yan, Chen Yirong. The Longitudinal Relationship between Social Support and College Adjustment: The Mediation of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Moderation of Intentional Self-Regulation[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2025, 48(1): 86-96 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250109

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