University students’ subjective well-being : the role of autonomy support from parents, friends, and the romantic partner

Abstract

This study investigated the relations between perceived autonomy support from three significant sources (parents, friends, and the romantic partner) and university students’ subjective well-being (SWB) using two approaches: a variable-centered and person-centered approach. Participants were 256 university students (191 women, 65 men) involved in a romantic relationship. Results from both approaches revealed that students’ perception that significant individuals support their autonomy predicted higher levels of SWB. Furthermore, results from a person-centered approach suggested that students reported the highest levels of SWB when all sources were perceived to be highly autonomy supportive. Together, these findings support a sensitization process of need satisfaction. Implications for SWB and self-determination theory are discussed.