Date

4-26-2024

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Chair

Hoiwah Benny Fong

Keywords

food insecurity, BPNs, autonomy, competency, relatedness, and severity

Disciplines

Educational Psychology | Higher Education

Abstract

In recent years, researchers have determined food insecurity affects a college student’s grade point average (GPA), mental health, campus status, and social life. While each of these findings is valuable for post-secondary faculty and their decision-making, none can determine whether a student’s basic psychological needs are affected by their food insecurity (FI), which is paramount in a student’s success inside and outside of the classroom. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a predictive relationship between the severity of a student’s food insecurity and their basic psychological needs satisfaction. To accomplish the study, one hundred and ninety-three students from one community college, one private university, and one public university in the State of Florida were surveyed. These students completed the Food Insecurity Experience Scale as well as the Basic Psychological Needs Frustration and Satisfaction Scale (BPNSFS) to determine each participant’s current satisfaction with Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs). By utilizing IBM’s SPSS software and performing three bivariate regression analyses, the predictive relationship between food insecurity and BPN satisfaction was determined to be insignificant (p < 0.05). The results call for further quantitative research on this topic as BPNs frustration may be a confounding variable. Conversely, if BPNs frustration is not a confounding variable and confirms the study’s results, it would be prudent to explore additional areas where FI affects college students. Therefore, it would be shrewd for future researchers to conduct mixed methods studies that include interviews in congruence with surveys.

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