Статья:

THE STRUCTURE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS

Журнал: Научный журнал «Студенческий форум» выпуск №43(179)

Рубрика: Психология

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Pinchuk E. THE STRUCTURE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS // Студенческий форум: электрон. научн. журн. 2021. № 43(179). URL: https://nauchforum.ru/journal/stud/179/103389 (дата обращения: 28.03.2024).
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THE STRUCTURE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS

Pinchuk Ekaterina
Master's student of Belgorod State National Research University, Russia, Belgorod

 

Abstract. The article discusses the concept of psychological well-being, subjective and objective approaches to the study. Its importance in professional activity underlines. There are some data of research of students’ of Humanities general level of psychological well-being and its structural components presented.

 

Keywords: psychological well-being; professional activities; health psychology; personal competence.

 

The socio-economic conditions of the development of modern society require the development of new approaches in the field of training young professionals - future professionals. The higher education system is primarily focused on preparing a specialist in a particular field of activity, teaching him the necessary competencies to perform the relevant professional activity. However, this professional activity will not be performed by a robot endowed with certain functions - competencies, but by a living person with certain personal characteristics. HR managers aptly notice that when hiring a specialist, they take a specialist, and a person does the work.

Thus, when formulating requirements for the training of modern specialists, it is necessary to monitor both the formation of professional abilities and the upbringing of personal qualities, behavioral properties of a person who, with his individuality, will be able to fit into modern society, successfully carry out his professional activities, remaining psychoemotionally stable and psychologically prosperous. From our point of view, already at the stage of training a specialist, it is worth taking care of his psychological well-being, which, of course, is reflected both in the process of learning the future specialty, and in the future on his professional activity.

For the first time the concept of "psychological well-being" appears in the work of N. Bradburn back in 1969. In the study, he describes the structure of psychological well-being as a kind of balance achieved by the constant interaction of two types of affect — positive and negative.

The author believes that events that bring positive emotions into our lives (joy, pleasure, enthusiasm, etc. D.) accumulate a positive affect, while what upsets us, upsets us, makes us worry, is summed up in a negative affect. The resulting difference between these two oppositely directed self-perceptions (positive and negative) it is an indicator of psychological well-being and reflects the general sense of self-satisfaction with life. Naturally, when the positive accumulated affect exceeds the accumulated negative emotions, a person feels happy and satisfied, and, consequently, the level of psychological well-being is quite high, if the total negative experiences exceed the accumulated positive experiences, then the person feels unhappy and dissatisfied, which characterizes the low level of his psychological well-being. It is obvious that determining the psychological well-being of a particular individual is his subjective assessment of his condition.

The approach formulated by N. Bradburn is sometimes called hedonistic, given the historical traditions of the study of happiness. In contrast to the subjective, in the objectivist approach, psychological well-being is associated not with a subjective sense of self, but with an objective indicator — with the degree of realization of a person's potential.

This approach is called eudemonistic. Objectivity in the interpretation of eudemonistic happiness is ensured by the obligatory presence of an external factor, its external assessment from the outside.

This approach to psychological well-being is presented in K. Riff's integrative model.

The basis for the development of its concept was psychological theories that consider the problem of positive psychological functioning of the individual, which is somehow related to the category of psychological well-being (the theories of K. Rogers, B. Newgarten, K.G. Jung, D. Birren, S. Buhler, A. Maslow, M. Yakhoda, G. Allport, E. Erickson).

After analyzing and summarizing the relevant material in the works of the listed authors, critically reviewing the views on psychological well-being as a balance between positive and negative affects, she proposed her structure of psychological well-being, which includes six components: 1) competence as the ability to fulfill the requirements of everyday life; 2) positive relationships with others are relationships with others that are permeated with care and trust; 3) goals in life, which means having goals and activities that give meaning to life; 4) self-acceptance as a positive attitude towards yourself and your past life; 5) autonomy, which is the ability to follow your own beliefs; 6) personal growth, which corresponds to a sense of continuous development and self-realization [2].

Such a comprehensive study of psychological well-being allows you to objectively combine an external behavioral manifestation with a subjective self-assessment of your sense of self-satisfaction with life. The objectivity of this theory also lies in the fact that there is some positive, social standard, which, with psychological well-being, corresponds to the vital functioning of any person. Therefore, in our study we relied on the approach of K. Riff.

To study the structure of psychological well-being of students, the method "Scale of psychological well-being" by K. Riff was used, which was later adapted by the domestic researcher of psychological well-being P.P. Fesenko [1]. The study involved 52 senior students of the Faculty of Personnel Management, whose professional activity is related to psychology.

From our point of view, the psychological well-being of the subject of activity is reflected not only on their mental health, but also on the effectiveness of the performance of the activity itself, especially when this activity involves intensive interpersonal communication and the need to make managerial decisions.

Both are present in the future activities of a psychology student. In addition, the process of learning a future profession, the development of new competencies is more successful if a person is satisfied with his life, feels psychologically prosperous.

According to the results of our study, only 16% of respondents have a high level of psychological well-being, 32% of the subjects have a low level of psychological well-being, the remaining 52% are characterized by an average level.

We analyzed the severity of six components of psychological well-being in these three groups of different levels. The data of subjects with a generally low indicator of psychological well-being are presented in Table 1.

Table 1

The structure of psychological well-being in a low-level group

Name of the sphere of positive functioning

Low level in every sphere

Average level in every sphere

High level in every sphere

 

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Competence

11

69

5

31

0

0

Positive relationships with others

10

63

6

37

0

0

Life purpose

12

75

4

25

0

0

Self-acceptance

12

75

4

25

0

0

Autonomy

6

37

10

63

0

0

Personal growth

8

50

6

37

2

13

 

As can be seen from Table 1, subjects with a low level of psychological well-being in all areas of positive functioning do not have high indicators, with the exception of the sphere of personal growth, where 13% of respondents have a high level of feeling of continuous development and self-realization. Low values on these scales indicate that respondents have only a limited number of trusting relationships with others, it is difficult for them to be open, show warmth and take care of others. In interpersonal relationships, as a rule, they are unwilling to compromise in order to maintain important connections with others. They experience difficulties in organizing their daily activities, and often feel unable to change the circumstances. They have few goals and intentions in life, they lack a sense of direction, they do not find goals in their past, they do not have prospects or beliefs that determine the meaning of life. They often show dissatisfaction with themselves, worry about certain personal qualities, and wish to be different from who they are.

Further, by analogy, we analyzed the data of subjects with an average level of psychological well-being. The results of the analysis are presented in Table 2.

Table 2.

Results

Name of the sphere of positive functioning

Low level in every sphere

Average level in every sphere

High level in every sphere

 

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Competence

6

23

18

64

2

8

Positive relationships with others

9

35

14

54

3

11

Life purpose

2

8

19

73

5

19

Self-acceptance

7

27

17

65

2

8

Autonomy

11

42

10

38

5

19

Personal growth

4

15

16

62

6

23

 

As can be seen from Table 2, average values prevail in subjects with an average level of psychological well-being in each of the spheres of positive existence. There are also people in this group who have both high and low values in some areas, but low values are more common than high. It is worth noting that in this group of people, the highest indicators are in the field of personal growth. From our point of view, this is due to the fact that the study involved young respondents — students who, due to their age, are characterized by a sense of further development. This can also explain the presence of high indicators in the field of "goals in life" in some respondents.

Next, we analyzed the structure of psychological well-being in a group with a high indicator of psychological well-being. The results are presented in table 3.

Table 3.

Results

Name of the sphere of positive functioning

Low level in every sphere

Average level in every sphere

High level in every sphere

 

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Number of people

Percentage of the total

Competence

0

0

1

13

7

88

Positive relationships with others

1

13

3

38

4

55

Life purpose

0

0

2

25

6

75

Self-acceptance

0

0

3

38

5

63

Autonomy

0

0

1

13

7

88

Personal growth

0

0

3

38

5

63

 

The group of subjects with a high level of psychological well-being has high indicators on all scales of this technique and practically has no low indicators. Respondents of this group have satisfactory trusting relationships with others, care about the well-being of others, can make concessions, look for compromises.

They are independent and independent, able to resist society's attempts to force them to think and act in a certain way, regulate their own behavior themselves.

They control all external activities, effectively use the opportunities presented, are able to create the conditions necessary for them to achieve their goals. They have a sense of continuous development, observe improvements in themselves and their actions over time, can change in accordance with new knowledge and achievements. They have goals in life, have intentions for the future, see prospects, treat themselves positively, understand their weaknesses and strengths.

The analysis of the structure of psychological well-being in each group allows us to determine which of the spheres of positive functioning is the most developed, and which has low indicators in these groups, respectively, what should first of all be paid attention to when increasing the overall level of psychological well-being.

It is important already at the stage of training a future specialist to pay attention not only to the formation of the necessary professional competencies, but also to the personality of the person who will perform a particular professional activity, to form a vital personal competence in him - the ability to take care of his psychological state.

 

List of literature:
1. Shevelenkova T.D. Psychological well-being of the individual (review of basic concepts and research methodology) / T.D. Shevelenkova, P.P. Fesenko // Psychological diagnostics - 2005. - No. 3. - pp. 95-123.
2. Ryff C.D. Psychological well-being in adult life / C.D. Ryff // Current Direction in Psychological Science. — 1995. — № 4. — P. 99—104.