The relationship between social support and social benevolence in deaf students: the mediating role of basic psychological needs and gender differences

In order to explore the relationship between social support, basic psychological needs and social goodwill of hearing-impaired middle school students and their gender differences, 272 hearing-impaired middle school students were tested by use of social support questionnaire, basic psychological needs scale and SoMi experimental paradigm. The results show that: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between social support, basic psychological needs and social goodwill of hearing-impaired middle school students, and social support can positively predict social goodwill; (2) Belongingness needs partially play a part in mediation between social support and social goodwill; (3) Girls’ social support, basic psychological needs and social goodwill among middle school students with hearing impairment are significantly higher than that of their boy peers, and girls’ belongingness needs play partiallly a mediating role between social support and social goodwill,, while boys’ belongingness needs among middle school students with hearing impairment are found to have no mediating effect. Conclusion: Social support can not only directly affect the social goodwills of hearing-impaired middle school students, but also indirectly affect the social goodwills of hearing-impaired middle school students through their belongingness needs, and there exist gender differences.