AccScience Publishing / HPR / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/HPR026170090
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Self-presentation on social networking sites and college students’ social adjustment: Basic psychological needs as mediators

Siyu Zhu1 ,  Suyue Mou1 ,  Guangcan Xiang1,2*
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1 Tian Jiabing College of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei, China
2 Hubei Three Gorges Laboratory, Yichang, Hubei, China
HPR, 026170090 https://doi.org/10.36922/HPR026170090
Received: 26 April 2026 | Revised: 5 July 2026 | Accepted: 6 July 2026 | Published online: 22 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Background: Social adjustment is critical for college students, and self-presentation on social networking sites influences adjustment outcomes. However, the effects and mechanisms of different self-presentation strategies remain unclear.

Objective: Based on self-determination theory, this study examined the effects of honest and positive self-presentation on social adjustment and tested the mediating roles of basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 721 college students (mean age = 18.97 ± 1.47 years; 52.43% male) from four Chinese universities. Participants completed measures of self-presentation, basic psychological need satisfaction, and social adjustment. Structural equation modeling tested the mediation model, with indirect effects estimated using bias-corrected bootstrapping (5,000 resamples).

Results: Honest self-presentation was positively associated with social adjustment (β = 0.084, p < 0.05), with partial mediation through autonomy (β = 0.022, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.002, 0.047]), competence (β = 0.047, 95% CI [0.024, 0.077]), and relatedness (β = 0.036, 95% CI [0.016, 0.061]). Positive self-presentation was negatively associated with social adjustment (β = −0.126, p < 0.01). Relatedness showed a significant indirect effect (β = 0.021, 95% CI [0.007, 0.043]), indicating suppression, whereas autonomy and competence effects were nonsignificant.

Conclusion: Honest self-presentation may promote social adjustment, whereas positive self-presentation may involve adaptive risks. Basic psychological need satisfaction is a key mechanism linking online self-expression to adjustment outcomes. These findings inform strategies for healthy social networking site use among college students.

Keywords
Social networking sites
Self-presentation
Social adjustment
Basic psychological needs
Satisfaction with basic psychological needs
Funding
This study was funded by the Philosophy and Social Science Research Project of the Education Department of Hubei Province, China (No. 25Q130).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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