BNSS

The BNSS is a 21-item instrument aimed at assessing individuals’ perceptions of competence (6 items), autonomy (7 items), and relatedness (8 items; see supplemental online material). Items within each subscale are rated using a 7-point scale from 1 (not at all true) to 7 (very true). The score for each subscale is computed by averaging the respective items. For the purpose of the current research, the scale was slightly modified to make the questions more relevant for ROTC cadets (i.e., “as a cadet” or “in the military” was added to items). For example, within the competence subscale, “Often, I do not feel very competent” was changed to “Often, I do not feel very competent as a cadet.” Subscale items for autonomy (e.g., “In my daily life, I frequently have to do what I am told” was modified to “In my life as a cadet, I frequently have to do what I am told”) and relatedness (e.g., “I like the people I interact with” was modified to “I like the people in the military I interact with”) included similar revisions.