Objective: Drawing on the perspective of developmental funding and self-determination theory,
this study examined the association between encouragement, basic psychological need satisfaction, and
psychological well-being among impoverished undergraduates. Methods: A sample of 547 impoverished
undergraduates was recruited to complete the general encouragement scale, the basic psychological need
satisfaction scale, and the flourishing scale. Results: Encouragement not only directly and positively
predicted psychological well-being, but also indirectly predicted psychological well-being through basic
psychological need satisfaction. Conclusion: These findings suggest an underlying process by which high
encouragement enhances psychological well-being by increasing basic psychological need satisfaction.