The relationship among students' and teachers' thinking styles, psychological needs and motivation

• Teachers' and students' thinking style interaction was also examined in the model.
• Type I thinking styles have a significant and positive impact on need satisfaction.
• Type I students' thinking style moderates the impact of Type I teacher style on needs.
• Need satisfaction has a significant and positive impact on intrinsic motivation.

This study examines the relationship among students' and teachers' thinking styles, student psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness), and their reports of intrinsic motivation in the Psychology Degree context. The sample comprised 266 Spanish undergraduate students. Spanish adapted version scales were used to assess the constructs considered in this study. The original scales were created based on the mental self-government and the Self-Determination Theories. Structural equation analyses reveal that the teachers' and students' Type I thinking styles have a significant and positive impact on student psychological need satisfaction, whereas students' and the teachers' Type II thinking styles have a significant and negative impact. In turn, psychological need satisfaction has a significant and positive impact on student intrinsic motivation. Implications for instructional practice are discussed.