Self-fulfilling Versus Self-destructive Adolescents: Exploration of Relations among Resilience, Well-Being, and Life Satisfaction

This study examined the differences between adolescents with a self-fulfilling profile and those with a self-destructive profile in resilience, well-being, and satisfaction with life. The Resiliency Attitudes and Skills Profile (De Caroli & Sagone, 2014a) was used to measure sense of humor, competence, adaptability, control, and engagement; the Life Satisfaction Scale (Di Fabio & Gori, 2016), the Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff & Keyes, 1995) was used to explore general psychological well-being; the Positive (PA) and Negative (NA) Affect Scale (Di Fabio & Bucci, 2015) was applied to measure the two opposite affective profiles, self-fulfilling (high PA and low NA) and self-destructive profile (low PA and high NA). Results showed that adolescents with a self-fulfilling profile reported higher resilience, life satisfaction, psychological well-being than those with a self-destructive profile. Future research could deep protective factors of self-fulfilling profile and risk factors of self-destructive profile in adolescence.

Scale Norming Undermines the Use of Life Satisfaction Scale Data for Welfare Analysis

Scale norming is where respondents use qualitatively different scales to answer the same question across survey waves. It makes responses challenging to compare intertemporally or interpersonally. This paper develops a formal model of the cognitive process that could give rise to scale norming in year on year responses to life satisfaction scale questions. It then uses this model to conceptually differentiate scale norming from adaptation and changes in reference points. Scale norming could make life satisfaction responses misleading with regards to the changing welfare of individuals. In particular, individuals who would say that their life is "improving" or "going well" might nonetheless give the same scale response year after year. This has negative implications for the use of scales in cost–benefit analysis and other welfarist applications. While there is already substantial empirical evidence for the existence of scale norming, its implications for welfare analysis are sometimes understated on the grounds that this evidence might simply be the product of errors of memory. The paper presents new empirical evidence for scale norming from two surveys (N1 = 278; N2 = 1050) designed such that errors of memory are an unconvincing explanation for the results.

Evaluation of the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale in a Diverse Sample of Rural Early Adolescents

Although life satisfaction has been associated with maladjustment and adverse experiences among adolescents, few validated measures of life satisfaction have been evaluated for use with diverse populations. The Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) is a promising measure that has been validated in samples of White and Black adolescents. This study used an item response theory approach to evaluate its psychometric properties in a diverse rural sample of early adolescents and its concurrent associations with other measures of youth adjustment. Support was found for partial invariance across sex and racial and ethnic identities. Scores on the BMSLSS were also correlated with measures of youth adjustment. However, the strength of these correlations differed for adolescents of different racial and ethnic identities. Findings suggest that the BMSLSS is a psychometrically sound measure for assessing life satisfaction in diverse samples of adolescents and highlights the importance of assessing invariance across racial and ethnic groups.

Determination of Involvement and Life Satisfaction Levels for Recreational Activities of Individuals who are Members of Fitness Centers

Background: It can be thought that it is possible to define an individual's motivation and interest in a product or activity, the excitement of doing that job, as the concept of involvement. Aim: The aim of this research is to determine the involvement and life satisfaction levels for the recreational activities of individuals who are members of fitness centers. Methods: As a data collection tool in the research, Leisure Time Involvement Scale (LIS) developed by Kyle et al. (2007), whose validity and reliability for Turkish culture was made by Gürbüz et al. (2015), and Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS) developed by Diener et al., (1985) and adapted to Turkish culture by Köker (1991) were used. The population of the research consisted of private sports and fitness center users in Kastamonu, Samsun and Hatay provinces. The sample of the study consisted of 450 people (55% Female, 45% Male) who are members of private sports and fitness centers in Kastamonu, Samsun and Hatay provinces and were selected by purposive sampling method. Descriptive statistical methods (percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation), T test, one-way analysis of variance ANOVA and pearson correlation test were used to analyze the data in the study. Results: According to the findings of the study, while there was a significant difference in the variables of age group, education level, frequency of use of the sports center, and hours spent daily in the sports center in the leisure time involvement scale, no significant difference was found in the gender variable. In the life satisfaction scale, while there was a significant difference in the variables of gender, education and weekly usage frequency, no significant difference was found in the age group and the daily hours spent in the sports center. Conclusion: In conclusion, the attractiveness factor has the strongest effect on individuals' leisure time involvement. In addition, it was determined that the participants' life satisfaction was high and there was a low and positive relationship between life satisfaction and leisure time involvement. Keywords: Fitness centers, Recreational activity, Involvement, Life satisfaction.

Young People’s Well-Being and the Association with Social Capital, i.e. Social Networks, Trust and Reciprocity

The paper explores the association between social capital of young people at 12–13 years and their subjective well-being using Finland’s sub-sample of the third wave of the International Survey of Children’s Well-Being. Despite much previous research on this topic, relatively little knowledge is accumulated given that different studies define and measure social capital differently. In line with Robert Putnam, we understand social capital as a combination of social networks, trust, and norms of reciprocity. We measure well-being with two context-free scales: a one-dimensional overall life satisfaction scale and a five-dimensional Student’s life satisfaction scale. The analysis is done with linear and unconditional quantile regression. The results indicate that all three dimensions of social capital are significantly associated with well-being. Of the three, trust is the strongest predictor explaining over 30% of the variance in both well-being scales. The study demonstrates the relevance of considering all dimensions of social capital together to avoid unobserved variable bias. Quantile regression reveals that while social capital is important for well-being across the quantiles, it is particularly important for the youth who fare poorly otherwise. Family-related variables showed the strongest association with well-being while relationships with friends, schoolmates, teachers, and other people mattered considerably less.

The Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Persian Version of Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale for Iranian Patients with Cancer

Background: Due to the growing prevalence of cancer globally, the disease is considered one of the most important sources of stress, disability, and reduced life satisfaction. Although life satisfaction is supposed to be a relatively stable psychological construct, it may change in response to life events. Life-satisfaction is the assessment of the quality of life according to one’s chosen criteria. Objectives: The purpose of this research is the psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of “Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale” (BMLSS) in Iranian patients with cancer. Methods: The present study was a methodological research, during which the BMLSS was translated and the Farsi version was validated for patients with cancer. Results: The fit indices of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the dual dimension of the BMLSS. Regarding the convergent validity of the BMLSS, the total score of the instrument had a positive and significant relationship with age and the sense of religiosity. Cronbach's alpha and Intraclass Correlation were calculated. Conclusions: The findings indicated that this Persian version has good validity and reliability and can be used as a comprehensive instrument in Iran.

Investigation of the Life Satisfaction Levels of Turkish EFL Teachers in Terms of Several Variables

In the present study, the purpose was to investigate the life satisfaction levels of Turkish EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers in terms of several variables. The general survey method was used in the study. The life satisfaction scale, which was developed by Diener, Emmons, Larsen, and Griffin (1985), adapted into Turkish by Dağlı and Baysal (2016), was used to collect the data in the study. The data were collected through the internet from the teachers who taught English as a foreign language between January and March 2021. The software SPSS 24 version was used for the data analyses along with Spearman Correlation Coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis Test, and Mann Whitney U-Test. According to the results of the study, it was found that the life satisfaction levels increased in favor of female teachers in terms of the gender variable and in favor of married teachers according to the marital status variable; additionally, was found to increase in favor of those who received support from administrators and colleagues when it comes to the support received from administrators and colleagues. In the same way, life satisfaction levels were found to increase as age increased and in favor of those who considered themselves at upper-income level economically.

Exploring the source of well-being for high achiever students

Characteristics of high achiever students are different from middle and low achiever students. Teachers and schools need to understand the unique characteristics of high achiever students in terms of their wellbeing. Aim of this research is to describe source of wellbeing for high achiever students. The research was conducted through survey using questionnaire adapted from Huebner’s Multidimensional Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). The questionnaire filled by 428 students in grade IV-VI in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, which are at top ten rank of their class. Data then analyzed by performing exploratory factor analysis. This research found that there are two factors as source of wellbeing for high achiever students, that are physical and psychological safety and the availability of support for student personal growth. Physical and psychological safety refers to school environment that protects students from psychological and physical threats. Whereas the availability of support for personal growth refers to how schools provide environment in order to facilitate students’ cognitive and social development. This research suggest that high achiever students call for teachers and school personnel to create school environment by considering students opportunities to develop their potentials without feeling threatened.

Life satisfaction and its relationship with self-esteem among Najran University students: الرضا عن الحياة لدى طلاب جامعة نجران وعلاقته بتقدير الذات

This study aimed to identifying the degree of life satisfaction, the level of self-esteem and the relationship between them among students of Najran University in KSA the study sample consisted of (639) students, of whom (319) were male and (320) female students. The researcher use previous literature to building two measures, the life satisfaction scale and the self-esteem scale. Validity and reliability of both tools were concluded. the results revealed that the degree of life satisfaction among Najran University students was high, and their level of self-esteem was high, and the results showed a strong, positive and significant correlation between the degree of satisfaction with Life and the level of self-esteem, and indicated that there were no differences in life satisfaction and self-esteem among Najran University students due to the gender variable, or type of college variable.The study recommended measuring students' life satisfaction and self-esteem periodically.