Basic psychological needs satisfaction: the role of peer social support on academic buoyancy

<jats:p>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Context and relevance&lt;/strong&gt;. University students frequently encounter academic demands, and their ability to cope with everyday academic challenges is known as academic buoyancy. This study is grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which posits that when students&amp;rsquo; basic psychological needs are satisfied through support from their social environment, such as peers, their academic outcomes improve. &lt;strong&gt;Objective&lt;/strong&gt;. This study examined whether basic psychological need satisfaction mediates the relationship between peer social support and academic buoyancy. &lt;strong&gt;Hypotheses&lt;/strong&gt;. Peer social support and basic psychological need satisfaction are positively correlated with academic buoyancy. Furthermore, basic psychological need satisfaction mediates the relationship between peer social support and academic buoyancy. &lt;strong&gt;Methods and materials&lt;/strong&gt;. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 372 students from a private university in Bandung (79% female). Data were collected using the Academic Buoyancy Scale (ABS), the Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale (BNSG-S), and the Peer Social Support Scale (PSSS). Mediation analysis was performed using Hayes PROCESS Macro Model 4. &lt;strong&gt;Results&lt;/strong&gt;. Most students reported low academic buoyancy and low perceived peer support. Further mediation analysis revealed that basic psychological need satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between peer social support and academic buoyancy. These findings indicate that peer support enhances students&amp;rsquo; feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which in turn strengthen their academic buoyancy. Conversely, lack of peer support may hinder this process, reducing students&amp;rsquo; capacity to manage academic stress. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusion.&lt;/strong&gt; This study highlights the importance of fostering supportive peer environments to enhance academic buoyancy in university students. Future studies should explore contributions from additional social contexts, such as family and lecturers, to academic buoyancy.&lt;/p&gt;</jats:p>