The present study examined how empathy (affective and cognitive), basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and demographic factors (gender and academic achievement) jointly predict prosocial behavior during emerging adulthood. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this research explored whether relatedness need satisfaction mediates the relationship between empathy and prosocial tendencies. A total of N=889 undergraduate students from a large public university in the southeastern United States completed self-report measures assessing empathy, psychological needs, and prosocial behavior. Path analysis revealed that affective empathy and relatedness satisfaction were significant predictors of prosocial behavior. Relatedness also partially mediated the link between empathy and helping actions. Furthermore, gender and GPA contributed to prosocial outcomes, with female students and those with higher academic achievement reporting greater prosocial tendencies. These findings suggest that fostering emotional engagement and supporting students’ psychological needs—particularly the need for relatedness—may be key mechanisms for promoting prosocial development in educational settings during the critical stage of emerging adulthood.

This study investigated the relationships between conflict management strategies and family functioning among university students from diverse ethnic backgrounds in the multicultural context of Kosovo. A cross-sectional design was used with 362 university students (183 female, 179 male) comprising Kosovo Turks (58.6%), Albanians (23.8%), and Bosnians (17.7%). Data were collected using the Conflict Management Strategy Scale and Family Assessment Device. Path analysis was used to examine relationships between conflict strategies and family functioning dimensions. Students preferred compromising strategies most (M = 3.68) and withdrawing least (M = 2.98). Family functioning was healthy in problem-solving, communication, roles, affective responsiveness, and general functioning (scores < 2.0), but unhealthy in affective involvement (M = 2.29) and behavioral control (M = 2.12). Significant ethnic differences emerged in communication (F(2,144) = 3.158, p = .045, η² = .020) and behavioral control (F(2,149) = 4.109, p = .018, η² = .018), but not in conflict strategies. Path analysis revealed that withdrawing strategies negatively affected family functioning (β = .113-.143), while smoothing strategies had positive effects (β = -.139 to -.220). However, conflict strategies explained only 1.6-4.3% of the variance in family functioning (R² = .016-.043), indicating small effect sizes. While statistically significant relationships exist between conflict management strategies and family functioning, effect sizes are modest. Ethnic variations in these relationships emphasize the importance of cultural considerations for family counseling practices. The findings suggest that conflict management training may have a limited direct impact on family functioning, highlighting the need for comprehensive, culturally sensitive intervention approaches.

This study explored how the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework shaped physics teachers’ professional identities. Through a qualitative case study design, the researcher analyzed the teaching practices, interactions, and pedagogical preferences of two experienced physics teachers. The data sources included classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, informal conversations, and teaching materials. The male teacher adopted a traditional, authority-based approach, while the female teacher employed a student-centered, autonomy-supportive, and relationship-based teaching approach. These findings revealed that teacher identity differed significantly according to the level of meeting the three basic components of SDT: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The teacher, who gave her students the right to choose experimental activities, collaborated with science centers and included parents in the process, developed a more flexible, participatory, and supportive structure. The other teacher allowed limited student participation in decision-making processes and created a more control-oriented classroom atmosphere. These results showed the importance of addressing autonomy-supported approaches in science teacher education.