IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v23y2022i4d10.1007_s10902-021-00456-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Developing a Social Evolutionary Measure of Child and Adolescent Hedonic and Eudaimonic Wellbeing in Rural Sierra Leone

Author

Listed:
  • Jennifer E. Symonds

    (University College Dublin)

  • Seaneen Sloan

    (University College Dublin)

  • Michelle Kearns

    (University College Dublin)

  • Dympna Devine

    (University College Dublin)

  • Ciaran Sugrue

    (University College Dublin)

  • Sachita Suryanaryan

    (University College Dublin)

  • Daniel Capistrano

    (University College Dublin)

  • Elena Samonova

    (University College Dublin)

Abstract

The study establishes the validity of a new measure of child and adolescent hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing designed for international use and based on social evolutionary theory. The measure advances the fields of psychometrics and happiness studies by providing the first a-contextual assessment of both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing that is suitable for use with children and adolescents. The Child and Adolescent Personal and Social Assessment of Wellbeing contains a brief measure (8-items) of children’s global hedonia and eudaimonia, and domain specific measures (8-items each) of children’s wellbeing in relation to peers, teachers, and families. To develop the measure, we conducted a mixed methods investigation in rural Sierra Leone. We researched the ecological validity of the conceptual framework in a qualitative study of 40 participants (19 children and 21 adults) living in two communities. We developed the quantitative items through a two-phase pilot study of 200 children living in ten communities. We examined the psychometric properties of the measure in the pilot study data, and in a larger dataset generated with 2324 children living in 95 communities. The qualitative results showed that the participants experienced the framework components (e.g., social acceptance) in their daily lives, and that each component was intertwined with indigenous perspectives on child wellbeing. The quantitative results demonstrated that the measure had good dimensional, concurrent, and predictive validity.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer E. Symonds & Seaneen Sloan & Michelle Kearns & Dympna Devine & Ciaran Sugrue & Sachita Suryanaryan & Daniel Capistrano & Elena Samonova, 2022. "Developing a Social Evolutionary Measure of Child and Adolescent Hedonic and Eudaimonic Wellbeing in Rural Sierra Leone," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1433-1467, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:23:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s10902-021-00456-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-021-00456-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-021-00456-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-021-00456-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edward Deci & Richard Ryan, 2008. "Hedonia, eudaimonia, and well-being: an introduction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, January.
    2. Gina Crivello & Laura Camfield & Martin Woodhead, 2009. "How Can Children Tell Us About Their Wellbeing? Exploring the Potential of Participatory Research Approaches within Young Lives," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 90(1), pages 51-72, January.
    3. Sonja Lyubomirsky & Heidi Lepper, 1999. "A Measure of Subjective Happiness: Preliminary Reliability and Construct Validation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 137-155, February.
    4. Shazly Savahl & Ferran Casas & Sabirah Adams, 2017. "Children’s Subjective Well-being: Multi-Group Analysis Among a Sample of Children from Two Socio-Economic Status Groups in the Western Cape, South Africa," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(2), pages 473-488, June.
    5. Lufanna Lai & Robert Cummins & Anna Lau, 2013. "Cross-Cultural Difference in Subjective Wellbeing: Cultural Response Bias as an Explanation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(2), pages 607-619, November.
    6. Pablo Queiroz & Oscar F. Garcia & Fernando Garcia & Juan J. Zacares & Cleonice Camino, 2020. "Self and Nature: Parental Socialization, Self-Esteem, and Environmental Values in Spanish Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-14, May.
    7. Angelina Wilson & Nceba Z. Somhlaba, 2018. "Gender, Age, Religion and Positive Mental Health Among Adolescents in a Ghanaian Socio-Cultural Context," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(4), pages 1131-1158, August.
    8. White, Sarah C. & Jha, Shreya, 2018. "Towards an interdisciplinary approach to wellbeing: Life histories and Self-Determination Theory in rural Zambia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 153-160.
    9. Julie Seligson & E. Huebner & Robert Valois, 2003. "Preliminary Validation of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 121-145, February.
    10. Fernando Garcia & Emilia Serra & Oscar F. Garcia & Isabel Martinez & Edie Cruise, 2019. "A Third Emerging Stage for the Current Digital Society? Optimal Parenting Styles in Spain, the United States, Germany, and Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-20, July.
    11. Geeta Gandhi Kingdon & John Knight, 2006. "Subjective well-being poverty vs. Income poverty and capabilities poverty?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(7), pages 1199-1224.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Guariso, Andrea & Björkman Nyqvist, Martina, 2023. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s learning and wellbeing: Evidence from India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Saira Hossain & Iva Strnadová & Joanne Danker & Sue C. O’ Neill, 2024. "How Do Bangladeshi Secondary School Students Conceptualise Well-Being in School," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(4), pages 1523-1545, August.
    2. Hirsch, Thalia & Busse, Britta, 2020. "The importance of subjective measurements in child and youth well-being studies," Schriftenreihe Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft 29/2020, Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft (IAW), Universität Bremen und Arbeitnehmerkammer Bremen.
    3. Kathlyn M. Cherry & Brae Anne McArthur & Margaret N. Lumley, 2020. "A Multi-Informant Study of Strengths, Positive Self-Schemas and Subjective Well-Being from Childhood to Adolescence," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2169-2191, August.
    4. Maria Kryza-Lacombe & Elise Tanzini & Sarah O’Neill, 2019. "Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives: Associations with Academic Achievement and Negative Emotional States Among Urban College Students," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 1323-1341, June.
    5. Ethan McMahan & Seungah Ryu & Incheol Choi, 2014. "Lay Conceptions of Well-Being Among Undergraduate Students from the United States and South Korea: Culture-Level Differences and Correlates," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 321-339, October.
    6. R. M. Tomlinson & L. Keyfitz & J. S. Rawana & M. N. Lumley, 2017. "Unique Contributions of Positive Schemas for Understanding Child and Adolescent Life Satisfaction and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(5), pages 1255-1274, October.
    7. Ritu Arora, 2023. "Intellectual Structure of Parenting Style Research: A Bibliometric Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, April.
    8. Pilar Ridao & Isabel López-Verdugo & Carmen Reina-Flores, 2021. "Parental Beliefs about Childhood and Adolescence from a Longitudinal Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-17, February.
    9. Katsunori Sumi, 2014. "Reliability and Validity of Japanese Versions of the Flourishing Scale and the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 601-615, September.
    10. Ömer Şimşek & Melikşah Demir, 2013. "Parental Support for Basic Psychological Needs and Happiness: The Importance of Sense of Uniqueness," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 661-678, July.
    11. Miriam Raquel Wachholz Strelhow & Jorge Castellá Sarriera & Ferran Casas, 2020. "Evaluation of Well-Being in Adolescence: Proposal of an Integrative Model with Hedonic and Eudemonic Aspects," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(4), pages 1439-1452, August.
    12. Berta Schnettler & Marianela Denegri & Horacio Miranda & José Sepúlveda & Ligia Orellana & Galo Paiva & Klaus Grunert, 2015. "Family Support and Subjective Well-Being: An Exploratory Study of University Students in Southern Chile," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 833-864, July.
    13. Yi Wang & Ronnel King & Shing On Leung, 2023. "Understanding Chinese Students' Well-Being: A Machine Learning Study," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(2), pages 581-616, April.
    14. Sofia Gimenez-Serrano & Marta Alcaide & Maria Reyes & Juan J. Zacarés & Montserrat Celdrán, 2022. "Beyond Parenting Socialization Years: The Relationship between Parenting Dimensions and Grandparenting Functioning," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-13, April.
    15. Pninit Russo-Netzer, 2019. "Prioritizing Meaning as a Pathway to Meaning in Life and Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 1863-1891, August.
    16. Léandre Alexis Chénard-Poirier & Robert J. Vallerand & Jérémie Verner-Filion & Nathalie Houlfort & Jacques Forest & Natalie Rinfret, 2023. "Optimal Functioning in Society: A Conceptualization, a Measure, and a Look at Determinants," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 857-892, February.
    17. Selda Koydemir & Aslı Bugay Sökmez & Astrid Schütz, 2021. "A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Randomized Controlled Positive Psychological Interventions on Subjective and Psychological Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(3), pages 1145-1185, June.
    18. Hanita Kosher, 2023. "The Relation Between Children's Participation in Their Daily life and Their Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(5), pages 1827-1850, October.
    19. Ana Silva & António Caetano, 2013. "Validation of the Flourishing Scale and Scale of Positive and Negative Experience in Portugal," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(2), pages 469-478, January.
    20. Ethan McMahan & David Estes, 2012. "Age-Related Differences in Lay Conceptions of Well-Being and Experienced Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 79-101, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:23:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s10902-021-00456-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.