Diagnostics of emotional well-being of older preschool children: evaluation of the reliability of a modified set of methods

Context and relevance. Monitoring the emotional well-being of preschool children is an important component of psychologists' practical work. Simultaneously, there is a lack of methodological tools for preschoolers and a growing demand among researchers to study child well-being issues. The modified set of methods allows for assessing a preschooler's emotional well-being based on an analysis of the child's personal characteristics, development of their emotional-volitional sphere, behavior, communication patterns with peers and adults, and neurotic manifestations (totaling 18 indicators across 5 domains). Objective. Empirical validation of the reliability and construct validity of a modified diagnostic toolkit for assessing emotional well-being in preschool children within an educational complex setting. Hypothesis. The modified set of methods, assessing preschoolers' emotional well-being across 18 indicators within five domains, is reliable and enables the valid identification of groups of children with high, medium, and low levels of emotional well-being. Methods and materials. The study involved three groups of respondents. For parents, the "Psychological Anamnesis" questionnaire (G.V. Burmenskaya, author's modification) was used, supplemented by a series of standardized questionnaires. The teaching staff participated in filling out the "Expert Assessment Sheet" (based on L. Stott's technique, adapted version). Diagnostic examination of children included projective and psychodiagnostic procedures: the anxiety test "Choose the Right Face" (R. Temml, M. Dorky, V. Amen), the "Lesenka" technique (modified by A.M. Prikhozhan) and the projective test "Family Drawing" (adapted by A.L. Venger). Statistical data processing was performed using SPSS software (versions 14.0, 21.0). The analysis included: assessment of sample distribution normality (Kolmogorov — Smirnov test); comparison of independent groups based on rank indicators (Kruskal — Wallis H test); checking internal consistency and reliability of scales (Cronbach's alpha coefficient); identification of linear relationships between quantitative variables (Pearson correlation coefficient). Results. The modified set of methods demonstrated sufficient reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0,919) and revealed significant correlation links for each technique and the general level of emotional well-being (integral indicator). The Kruskal — Wallis H criterion showed significant differences for the three identified groups of children with different levels of emotional well-being across the entire set of methods. Conclusions. Three groups of preschool children with different levels of emotional well-being were identified. It was shown that the modified set of methods for assessing preschoolers' emotional well-being demonstrated sufficient reliability, which allows its use in diagnosing the emotional well-being of preschoolers.