Psychological Needs as Mediators of Income-Life Satisfaction Relationship in Croatian Adults

Aim of this study was to examine the relationship between relative income, psychological needs satisfaction and life satisfaction in a sample of Croatian adults. Participants assessed their household income relative to Croatian average income, life satisfaction with Satisfaction with Life Scale, and level of basic psychological needs satisfaction with Basic Psychological Needs Scale. The total sample included 397 participants (54.9% female, mean age 31.23 years, SD = 8.71). We identified two groups based on relative income, one with average income and the other with higher than average income. Belonging to group with higher income was associated with higher needs and life satisfaction, with two satisfactions positively associated. Therefore, we tested if psychological needs satisfaction mediated income-life satisfaction relationship. Results from parallel multiple mediator model showed that satisfaction of all three psychological needs mediated the relationship between income and life satisfaction, but income also had a direct effect on life satisfaction.