Operational Model and Tools for Studying Subjective Well-Being of Orphans and Children Without Parental Care

The article presents the rationale for the theoretical construct ‘subjective well-being of orphans’, its operational model, as well as the reliability and validity of a specially designed standardized interview (SI) for measuring and assessing both the general level of subjective well-being and its specific areas (SWB).The subjective well-being of a child is viewed from the position of his/her satisfaction with the ‘system of own attitudes’ to himself, to others, to the environment, to his/her ‘chronotope’.The operational assessment model built on its basis included 10 domains that built the basis of SI. The tool was tested on a sample of 498 orphanage residents aged 13 to 17 years. Its reliability, internal consistency, correctness and validity have been proven: meaningful, constructive (Cronbach’s coefficient “α” α k = 0.741); convergent (at the level of high statistical significance, SI indicators correlate with the method of M. Rosenberg, as well as with the results of the “Vi ability” test (Osin E.N., Rasskazova E.I., screening version); criterial (correlation analysis revealed the stable relationships between indicators of subjective well-being and institutional experience (r = 0.017, p = 0.702).

1. Antonova N.A., Eritsyan K.Yu., Tsvetkova L.A.Sub”ektivnoe blagopoluchie podrostkov i molodezhi: kontseptualizatsiya i izmerenie [Elektronnyi resurs] [Subjective well-being of teens and young people: conceptualization and measurement].Izvestiya RGPU named after A.I. Herzen, 2018, no.187, pp. 70—78.Available at: https://cyberleninka.rp/ article/n/spbektivnoe-blagopolpchie-podrostkov-i-molodezhi-kontseptpalizatsiya-i-izmerenie (Accessed: 19.09.2020).(In Russ.).
2. Archakova T.O., Veraksa A.N., Zotova O.Yu., Perelygina E.B.Sub”ektivnoe blagopoluchie u detei: instrumenty izmereniya i vozrastnaya dinamika [Subjective Well-being in Children: Measurement Tools and Age Dynamics].Psikhologicheskaya nauka i obrazovanie = Psychological Science and Education, 2017.Vol.22, no.6, pp.68—76.DOI:10.17759/pse.2017220606 (In Russ., аbstr.in Engl.).
3. Kulikov L.V.Determinanty udovletvorennosti zhizn’yu.Obshhestvo i politika.By V.Yu.Bol`shakov.Saint Petersburg: Pabl.S.-Petersburg’s University, 2000, pp.476—510.
4. Lebedeva A.A.Sub”ektivnoe blagopoluchie lits s ogranichennymi vozmozhnostyami zdorov’ya.Avtoref.Diss.Kand.Psixol.Nauk.[The Subjective well-being of persons with disabilities.Ph.D.(Psychology) diss.].Moscow: Pabl.MSUPE, 2012.26 p.
5. Monusova G.A.Sub”ektivnoe blagopoluchie i vozrast: Rossiya v kontekste mezhdunarodnykh sravnenii.XII Mezhdunarodnaya nauchnaya konferentsiya po problemam razvitiya ekonomiki i obshchestva [Subjective well-being and age: Russia in the context of international comparisons.XII international scientific conference on problems of economic and social development.Collected works in 4 volumes].Moscow: Izd.dom VShE, 2012.Vol. 3, pp.98—109.(In Russ.).
6. Myasishchev V.N.Psikhologiya otnoshenii: Izbrannye psikhologicheskie trudy [Psychology of relationships: Selected psychological works].4th edition.By Bodaleva A.A.Voronezh: Modek MPSI, 2011.398 p.
7. Odinokova V.A., Rusakova M.M., Usacheva N.M.Opyt otsenki blagopoluchiya detei v uchrezhdeniyakh dlya detei-sirot [Experience in assessing the well-being of children in orphanages].Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: Ekonomicheskie i sotsial’nye peremeny [Public opinion monitoring: Economic and social changes], 2017, no.2, pp.129—144.
8. Oslon V.N.Model’ otsenki sub”ektivnogo blagopoluchiya vospitannikov organizatsii dlya detei-sirot.Kul’turno-istoricheskii podkhod v sovremennoi psikhologii razvitiya: dostizheniya, problemy, perspektivy: sbornik tezisov uchastnikov shestoi vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii po psikhologii razvitiya, posvyashchennoi 80-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya professora L.F.Obukhovoi (13— 14 dekabrya 2018) [Model for assessing the subjective well-being of pupils of organizations for orphaned children.Cultural and historical approach in modern developmental psychology: achievements, problems, prospects: collection of abstracts of participants of the sixth all-Russian scientific and practical conference on developmental psychology, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the birth of Professor L.F.Obukhova (December 13—14, 2018)].By Shapovalenko I.V., El’koninova L.I., Kochetova Yu.A.Moscow: Pabl.MSUPE, 2018.639 p.(In Russ.).
9. Oslon V.N.Monitoring sub”ektivnogo blagopoluchiya (subjective well-being) vospitannikov kak instrument otsenki kachestva deyatel’nosti organizatsii dlya detei-sirot.Vozmozhnosti i riski tsifrovoi sredy: sbornik tezisov uchastnikov VII Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii po psikhologii razvitiya (chteniya pamyati L.F.Obukhovoi) 12—13 dekabrya 2019 [Monitoring the orphans’s subjective well-being as a tool for assessing the quality of organizations for orphaned children.Opportunities and risks of the digital environment: a collection of abstracts of participants of the VII all-Russian scientific and practical conference on developmental psychology (readings in memory of L.F.Obukhova) December 12—13, 2019].By Basilovoi T.A., Dozortsevoi E.G., Egorenko T.A.Moscow: Pabl.MSUPE, 2019.Vol.2.372 p.(In Russ.).
10. Rubtsov V.V., Sem’ya G.V., Shvedovskaya A.A.Vyzovy sovremennogo detstva: klyuchevye rezul’taty realizatsii Natsional’noi strategii deistvii v interesakh detei [Challenges of Modern Childhood: Key Outcomes of the National Strategy on Action for Children].Psikhologicheskaya nauka i obrazovanie = Psychological Science and Education, 2017.Vol.22, no.6, pp.5—24.DOI:10.17759/pse.2017220601 (In Russ., аbstr.in Engl.)
11. Rusakova M.A., Odinokova V.A.Teoreticheskie osnovy i opyt monitoringa soblyudeniya prav i blagopoluchiya detei v internatnykh uchrezhdeniyakh: obzor publikatsii [Theoretical foundations and experience in monitoring the rights and well-being of children in residential institutions: review of publications].Teoriya i praktika obshchestvennogo razvitiya = Theory and practice of social development, 2014, no 16, pp. 40—52.
12. Shamionov R.M.Samosoznanie i sub”ektivnoe blagopoluchie lichnosti [Self-awareness and subjective well-being of the individual].Problemy sotsial’noi psikhologii lichnosti [Problems of social psychology of the individual].By R.M.Shamionova.Saratov: SGU named after N.G.Chernyshevskogo, 2008, pp.36—41.
13. Shul’ga T.I.Osoznannost’ podrostkov-sirot i podrostkov, ostavshikhsya bez popecheniya roditelei, kak faktor psikhologicheskogo blagopoluchiya [Mindfulness in Orphan and Parentless Adolescents as a Factor of Psychological Well-Being].Psikhologicheskaya nauka i obrazovanie = Psychological Science and Education, 2019.Vol.24, no.4, pp.36—50.DOI:10.17759/ pse.2019240403 (In Russ., аbstr.in Engl.)
14. Yashchenko E.F.Sub”ektivnoe blagopoluchie i samoaktualizatsiya [Subjective well-being and self-actualization].Psikhologiya v sovremennom razvivayushchemsya mire: teoriya i praktika: materialy mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii [Psychology in the modern developing world: theory and practice: proceedings of the international scientific and practical conference].M-vo obrazovaniya i nauki Rossiiskoi Federatsii, Yuzhno-Ural’skii gos.un-t, Fak.psikhologii, Kaf.prikladnoi psikhologii [Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation, South Ural state University, faculty of psychology, Department of applied psychology].By E.F.Yashchenko (ets).Chelyabinsk: YuUrGU, 2012.259 p.
15. Ben-Arieh A., Casas F., Frønes I., Korbin J.E.Multifaceted concept of child well-being.Handbook of Child Well-Being.Springer, Dordrecht, 2014, pp.1—27.DOI:10.1007/978-90-481-9063-8_134
16. Diener E.Guidelines for national indicators of subjective well-being and ill-being.Journal of Happiness Studies, 2006.Vol.7, pp.397—404.DOI:10.1007/ s10902-006-9000-y
17. Kashdan T.B., Biswas-Diener R., King L.A.Reconsidering happiness: the costs of distinguishing between hedonics and eudaimonia.Journal of Positive Psychology, 2008.Vol.3, no 4, pp.219—233.DOI:10.1080/174397608023030 44
18. Kelly G., Gilligan R., Kerr K.P., Nixon S., Pinkerton J., Houston S.Issues in Foster Care: Policy, Practice and Research.London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1999.240 p.
19. Medvedev O.N., Landhuis C.E.Exploring constructs of well-being, happiness and quality of life.Peer J, 2018, no 6.DOI:10.7717/peerj.4903/table-4
20. Michaelson J., Mahony S., Schifferes J.Measuring well-being: a guide for practitioners.London, New Economic Foundation, 2012.32 p.
21. Pontin E., Schwannauer M., Tai S., Kinderman P.A UK validation of a general measure of subjective well-being: the modified BBC subjective well-being scale (BBC-SWB).Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2013.Vol.11.DOI:10.1186/1477-7525- 11-150
22. Seligman M.E.P.Flourish.A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being.New York, Free Press, 2011.349 p.
23. Zhang M.F., Selwyn J.The subjective well-being of children and young people in out of home care: psychometric analyses of the «your life, your care» survey.Child Indicators Research, 2019.Vol.13.DOI:10.1007/s12187-019-09658-y