This review examines the literature on basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—within the context of self-determination theory (SDT). The authors conducted a meta-analysis of 99 studies with 119 distinct samples to explore the antecedents and consequences of basic need satisfaction at work. The study aimed to test SDT's claim that each basic need uniquely predicts psychological growth, internalization, and well-being; whether an overall need satisfaction measure is appropriate; and whether the scale used to assess basic psychological needs influenced the results. The findings support SDT's assertion that each basic need independently predicts psychological growth, internalization, and well-being. However, the variance in some outcomes explained by basic needs is statistically significant but practically insignificant. The study also highlights issues with the most commonly used scale for measuring basic psychological needs. SDT defines basic psychological needs as innate factors essential for psychological growth, internalization, and well-being. The need for autonomy involves acting with a sense of ownership and choice, the need for competence involves feeling mastery over the environment, and the need for relatedness involves feeling connected to others. These needs are distinct from other motivation theories and are considered fundamental to human behavior. The study found that while basic psychological needs are generally related to various antecedents and outcomes, the variance they account for in some outcomes is not practically significant. The study also identified issues with the most commonly used scale for measuring basic psychological needs and suggested that future research should explore need frustration, cultural differences, and integrate basic needs with other motivation theories. The authors also caution against the measures and methods used in the literature. Overall, the results support SDT's view of basic psychological needs but also highlight areas for further research and improvement.This review examines the literature on basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—within the context of self-determination theory (SDT). The authors conducted a meta-analysis of 99 studies with 119 distinct samples to explore the antecedents and consequences of basic need satisfaction at work. The study aimed to test SDT's claim that each basic need uniquely predicts psychological growth, internalization, and well-being; whether an overall need satisfaction measure is appropriate; and whether the scale used to assess basic psychological needs influenced the results. The findings support SDT's assertion that each basic need independently predicts psychological growth, internalization, and well-being. However, the variance in some outcomes explained by basic needs is statistically significant but practically insignificant. The study also highlights issues with the most commonly used scale for measuring basic psychological needs. SDT defines basic psychological needs as innate factors essential for psychological growth, internalization, and well-being. The need for autonomy involves acting with a sense of ownership and choice, the need for competence involves feeling mastery over the environment, and the need for relatedness involves feeling connected to others. These needs are distinct from other motivation theories and are considered fundamental to human behavior. The study found that while basic psychological needs are generally related to various antecedents and outcomes, the variance they account for in some outcomes is not practically significant. The study also identified issues with the most commonly used scale for measuring basic psychological needs and suggested that future research should explore need frustration, cultural differences, and integrate basic needs with other motivation theories. The authors also caution against the measures and methods used in the literature. Overall, the results support SDT's view of basic psychological needs but also highlight areas for further research and improvement.