Developing a Scale About Subjective Well Being Increases Strategies for Adolescents

Year 2010, Volume: 4 Issue: 33, 81 - 88, 29.04.2010

Ali Eryılmaz

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a scale of enhancement in subjective well being of adolescents. A totally of 190 (92 male and 98 female) participants who were adolescents between ages of 14-17 (mean=15.50) were included in the study. In this study, exploratory factor analysis was used for data analysis. According to results, the scale which has 59 % explained variance and yielded to five dimensions (“taking positive feedback from others “, “participating in religious activities”, “giving positive feedback to others”, “fulfilling wishes” and “protecting subjective well being”). Satisfactory reliability and validity coefficients were obtained. The scale was entitled as “Subjective Well Being Enhancement Strategies Scale for Adolescents.”

Keywords

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Ergenler İçin Öznel İyi Oluşu Arttırma Stretejileri Ölçeğinin Geliştirilmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, ergenler için öznel iyi oluşu artırma stratejilerini ölçen bir ölçme aracı geliştirmektir. Çalışma, 14-17 yaşlan arasındaki lise öğrenimi gören 98 kız ve 92 erkek olmak üzere toplam 190 ergen üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmada, açıklayıcı faktör analizi ve bazı güvenirlik analizleri yapılmıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre, açıklanan varyansı % 59 olan beş boyutlu bir ölçek elde edilmiştir. Ölçeğin boyutları, “çevreden olumlu tepkiler almak”, “dinî inancın gereğini yerine getirmek”, “çevreye olumlu tepkiler vermek”, “istekleri doyurmak” ve “öznel iyi oluşu korumak” olarak isimlendirilmiştir. Ölçeğin güvenirlik ve geçerlik değerleri tatminkâr düzeyde bulunmuştur. Geliştirilen ölçeğe “Ergenler İçin Öznel İyi Oluşu Artırma Stratejileri Ölçeği” ismi verilmiştir. Bu ölçekle, gelecekte çeşitli araştırmalar yapılarak alanın gelişmesine katkıda bulunulabilir.

Keywords

Ergen, öznel iyi oluş stratejileri, ölçek

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• Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance JOurnnl 2010, 4 (33), 81-88
• DEVELOPING A SCALE ABOUT SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING INCREASES
• STRATEGIES FOR ADOLESCENTS Ali E YILMAZ
• The achievement of happiness is one of the most
• important goals of humankind (Fordyce, 1977, 1983).
• There has been a great deal of research on what
• constitutes happiness for individuals (Lyubomirsky,
• ) while little scientiŞc research has focused on the
• question of how happiness can be enhanced
• tLyubomirsky, Sheldon and Schkade, 2005). Studies have found that the demographic factors of
• age, sex, income, race, education, and marital status
• accounted for less than 20% of the variance in
• happiness. Life events (winning lottery or loosing part
• of body) had weak effects on people’s current
• happiness and no effects at all on projected future well
• being (Deiner, 1984) Personality is another important factor of in
• predicting happiness. Extraversion and neuroticism are
• important traits for subjective well being (Deiner,
• ). In addition to these social relationships are
• important for happiness and health. Social ties may
• fester a sense of meaning or coherence in life.
• Emotional support may help minimize stress.
• Literature shows that activities such as working for
• one's goals participating in close social relationship,
• experiencing physical pleasures, experiencing mental
• pleasure contribute to individuals’ happiness. According to Fordyce (1977; 1983) there are some
• strategies that can enhance wellbeing (i.e., spending
• time socializing / close relationship, being active and
• keep busy, being productive at meaningful work,
• positive optimistic thinking, eliminating negative
• feelings and stopping worrying). Buss (2000)
• recommends increasing closeness of extended kin /
• develop deep friendship the fulŞllment of desire /
• satisfying the taste of high quality food, professional
• success, selecting similar mate/achieving intimacy,
• eliminate competition and promoting cooperation as
• some strategies contributing to well being. Likewise,
• Tkach and Lyubomirsky (2005) mention social
• afŞliation, partying active leisure / passive leisure,
• attempt to goal pursuit, and also mental control as
• factors improving subject well being. These strategies
• are derived from university students and adult
• Dr., All ERYILMAZ, Psikolojik Danışman, Ankara (Anadolu) Lisesi,
• crali76©h0tmaîlcom populations. On the other hand, what kinds of Strategies are related with adolescents” usage is not clear.
• Therefore, the purpose of this study was identify
• adolescents’ perceptions of happiness and ways in
• which they perceive their sense of well being is enhanced. Method The purpose of this study was to develop a
• subjective well being enhancement scale for adolescents. Participants: A total of 190 (92 male and 98
• female) high school students between ages of 14-17
• (mean:15.50) were included in the study. Results In this study, explanatory factor analysis and
• reliability analysis were used for data analysis. The
• results showed that the scale accounted for 59 %
• variance. It resulted in Şve dimensions which were
• named as “taking positive feedback from others “,
• “participating in religious activities", “giving positive
• feedback to others”, “fulŞlling wishes” and “protecting
• subjective well being.” Reliability and validity
• estimates of the scale were found satisfactory. The scale
• was entitled as “Subjective Well Being Enhancement
• Strategies Scale for Adolescents” is developed. Discussion Results of this study were overall in agreement
• with those of previous research. There were three
• studies by whom Buss (2000}, Fordyce (1983), and
• Tkach and Lyubomirsky (2005) that speciŞcally
• addressed subjective well being strategies. The scale resulted in Şve dimensions were
• identiŞed. The Şrst strategy which was named as taking
• positive feedback from others and also the second
• strategy which was named as giving positive feedback
• to others are similar with the Buss’s (2000) strategy
• which is increase closeness of extended kin and develop
• deep friendship, with the Fordyc’s (1977; 1983)
• strategy named develop an outgoing social personality,
• and also with the Tkach and Lyubomjrsky’s (2005) strategy called social affiliation. The third strategy was named participating in religious activities was similar with the religion strategy by Tkach and Lyubomirsky’s
• (2005). The fourth strategy was named fulŞlling wishes
• was parallel to Buss’s (2000) strategy entitled
• fulŞllment of desire. Finally, the last strategy is named
• protecting subjective well being has similarities with
• Tkach and Lyubomirsky’s (2005) strategy named
• mental control. The results of the study suggest that Turkish
• adolescents’ subjective well being strategies is similar
• with other research. According to Lyubomirsky (2001)
• subjective well being enhancing research is still in its
• infancy. Results of this study might be used in guiding
• well being improvement interventions for adolescents.
• Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal