A study on the impact of need satisfaction on perceived academic performance among arts major undergraduate students in China—focusing on the mediating effect of achievement goals orientations and the moderating effect of perceived social support

TL;DR

This study explores how fulfilling psychological needs affects academic performance among art students in China, with a focus on motivation and social support.

Contribution

The study reveals distinct motivational pathways and contextual effects of social support on academic performance in arts education.

Findings

All three psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) positively affect perceived academic performance.

Achievement goals mediate the effects of competence and relatedness but not autonomy.

Perceived social support moderates the effects of relatedness, adding complexity to motivational dynamics.

Abstract

Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying perceived academic performance among Chinese undergraduate students majoring in the arts. Specifically, it investigates the direct effects of basic psychological need satisfaction—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—on perceived academic performance, as well as the mediating role of achievement goal orientations and the moderating role of perceived social support. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from art major undergraduates across multiple universities in China and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that all three psychological needs exert significant positive direct effects on perceived academic performance. Achievement goal orientations partially mediate the effects of competence and relatedness, but not autonomy, suggesting distinct motivational pathways across needs. In addition, perceived social support negatively moderates the relationships involving relatedness, both directly and indirectly through achievement goals, highlighting a contextual complexity in arts education. These findings extend existing motivational theories by demonstrating differentiated mechanisms through which psychological needs influence academic performance in the arts context. Practical implications are discussed for educators and institutions seeking to support art students' motivation and academic development within Chinese higher education.

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