Academic performance, self-reported motivation, and affect in higher education: the role of basic psychological need satisfaction.

Introduction: Higher education is a milestone in students' lives; however, it often comes with various challenges. In this context, Basic Psychological Needs Theory emerges as a framework to understand a series of significant factors that influence students' academic experiences, such as motivation and affect. Although there are studies that assess the association between basic psychological needs (BPN), motivation, affect and academic performance separately, there is a lack of research integrating all these variables in a higher education context.