Friendship Self-Regulation through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory: A Study of University Students in Pakistan

Abstract

Friendships play a crucial role in emotional well-being and identity development, especially during emerging adulthood. Rooted in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study explored how university students in Pakistan regulate their friendships across various demographic and contextual factors. Using the Friendship Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-F), data were collected from a sample of 315 university students to examine how motivational regulation styles (external, introjected, identified, and intrinsic) differed across gender, academic year, socioeconomic status (SES), and academic performance. Significant differences were found in friendship self-regulation scores across academic years, with fourth-year students reporting higher levels of autonomous motivation, particularly identified regulation and intrinsic motivation, than second-year students. Additionally, differences emerged based on gender, SES, and time spent on campus outside of class. The findings suggest that as students’ progress through university, their motivation in friendships becomes increasingly internalized, shaped by both individual development and cultural context. These insights provide a foundation for designing culturally sensitive interventions that promote authentic relational engagement and emotional maturity in Pakistani university settings.