Assignment: Psychological Well-Being
Assignment: Psychological Well-Being
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“Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to see a story of murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery, and treachery….all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts.” This is the opening line in the Broadway musical, Chicago.
Log on to at least 3 of the top online news websites such as CNN, MSNBC, CBS News, USA Today, ABC News to take a look at what kind of national or global lead stories are prevalent. How much of the news reflects disaster, violence, crime, corruption, or otherwise negativity? In what ways do you think viewers and readers get an inaccurate or distorted impression about what is really happening in the world? How do you think the psychological well-being of viewers and readers might be affected by what they read on a daily basis? What do you think the attraction is to this kind of negativity?
The Six-factor Model of Psychological Well-being is a theory developed by which determines six factors which contribute to an individual’s psychological , contentment, and happiness. Psychological well-being consists of positive relationships with others, personal mastery, autonomy, a feeling of purpose and meaning in life, and personal growth and development. Psychological well-being is attained by achieving a state of balance affected by both challenging and rewarding life events.
The Ryff Scale of Measurement is a psychometric inventory consisting of two forms (either 54 or 84 items) in which respondents rate statements on a scale of 1 to 6, where 1 indicates strong disagreement and 6 indicates strong agreement. The Ryff Scale is based on six factors, specifically, autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Higher total scores indicate higher psychological well-being. Following are explanations of each criterion, and an example statement from the Ryff Inventory to measure each criterion.
- Autonomy: High scores indicate that the respondent is independent and regulates his or her behavior independent of social pressures. An example statement for this criterion is “I have confidence in my opinions, even if they are contrary to the general consensus”.
- Environmental Mastery: High scores indicate that the respondent makes effective use of opportunities and has a sense of mastery in managing environmental factors and activities, including managing everyday affairs and creating situations to benefit personal needs. An example statement for this criterion is “In general, I feel I am in charge of the situation in which I live”.
- Personal Growth: High scores indicate that the respondent continues to develop, is welcoming to new experiences, and recognizes improvement in behavior and self over time. An example statement for this criterion is “I think it is important to have new experiences that challenge how you think about yourself and the world”.
- Positive Relations with Others: High scores reflect the respondent’s engagement in meaningful relationships with others that include reciprocal empathy, intimacy, and affection. An example statement for this criterion is “People would describe me as a giving person, willing to share my time with others”.
- Purpose in Life: High scores reflect the respondent’s strong goal orientation and conviction that life holds meaning. An example statement for this criterion is “Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them”
