The child’s Perception of the Performance of a Good Parent in Satisfying Basic Psychological Needs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify how the child perceives the performance of a good parent in satisfying basic psychological needs. The qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach was used in the present study. Based on purposive sampling conducted in 2019-2020, 40 children (20 girls and 0-2 boys) aged 9 to 12 years participated in this study for semi-structured and in-depth interviews. The questions were arranged in 9 main axes and 13 axes according to the self-determination theory. The Colaizzi method was used for the analysis. The analysis resulted in 5 main themes and 20 subthemes and 144 basic concepts. The main themes included autonomy, experience of competence, association, participation, and order. It can be concluded that self-determination theory and childrens perception of the environment that satisfies basic needs are interrelated. The results suggest that children believe or perceive that good parents are able to meet five psychological needs, including autonomy, competence, affiliation, participation, and order, and attempt to meet these needs through interaction with children. It can be concluded that self-determined theory and children's perception that the environment meets basic needs are related.

Keywords

• children’s perception
• parents’ performance
• basic psychological needs
• parenting