Relatedness is our fundamental need to feel supported by others; to feel that “I matter” to others and that they matter to me. We often experience this need Relatedness in a relationship with another when we feel they are supportive of our needs for autonomy and competence.
Research in basic need satisfaction has shown that even computer-generated virtual characters (non-player characters) are capable of satisfying our fundamental need for relatedness, if they are scripted to be supportive of the user in the system.
Relatedness is one of the three key components to creating sustained habitual engagement behaviors.