Basic psychological needs and social media addiction as predictors of marital satisfaction

This research aimed to examine the predictive relationships between marital satisfaction, basic psychological needs, and social media addiction. A relational research design was employed. The sample consisted of 581 married individuals (381 women and 200 men) residing in Ankara during the 2024–2025 period. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Marital Satisfaction Scale, the Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs Scale for Married Individuals, and the Social Media Addiction Scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictive power of basic psychological needs and social media addiction on marital satisfaction. The linear relationships among variables were examined using Pearson product-moment correlation analysis. To identify group differences, independent samples t-tests were used for the gender variable, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied for variables with three or more categories. When parametric assumptions were not met and group sizes differed significantly, the Kruskal–Wallis H test was employed. The findings revealed that basic psychological needs were a strong and significant predictor of marital satisfaction. In contrast, social media addiction did not significantly affect marital satisfaction. Positive and significant relationships were observed between marital satisfaction and all subdimensions of basic psychological needs (love–belonging, power, freedom, and fun). No significant relationship was found between marital satisfaction and social media addiction. A low-level, negative, and significant relationship was identified between basic psychological needs and social media addiction. Marital satisfaction was positively associated with the length of the dating period and negatively associated with age, duration of marriage, number of children, and daily time spent on social media. Regarding how participants met their spouses, those who married after meeting face-to-face reported significantly higher marital satisfaction than those in arranged marriages. In terms of employment status, individuals working in the private sector reported higher marital satisfaction than public sector employees or unemployed individuals. No significant differences in marital satisfaction were observed based on gender, the educational level of the individual or their spouse, the social media platform used, or the purpose of social media use. Furthermore, basic psychological needs and social media addiction were also examined in relation to demographic variables, marital characteristics, and social media usage habits.