PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF HUMAN AS A PHENOMENON OF MODERN PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

The article is deals with the analysis of the interpretation of the phenomenon of psychological well-being in the positive and post-soviet psychology. The relevance of investigation is due to the increasing interest of psychological science to the concept of psychological well-being, and influence of this feeling on the vital activity of man.

It is stated that despite the great number of theoretical and empirical studies of psychological well-being in foreign and domestic psychology and related sciences, still there is no comprehensive and general explanation of this phenomenon in scientific use. Modern psychology in the understanding of psychological well-being based on the views on it representatives of two basic approaches to the interpretation of well-being: hedonistic and eudemonic: E. Diner and K. Riff.

A further analysis of the phenomenon of psychological well-being which occurs in the post-soviet space testifies as the fact that in the views of researchers somehow combine both directions in the understanding of well-being so as excessive adherence to these interpretations, which prevents scientists to go beyond the views of E. Diner and K. Riff (their closest mediators and followers) on, may be, new (different) level of understanding of the concept. This is manifested, in particular, by the fact, that even representing the “proper” understanding of the phenomenon of psychological well-being, scientists establish it on reproducing to one degree or another and in the form of the views of Diner and Riff on the essence and structure of psychological well-being.

We are subjectively inclined to understand the psychological well-being as the subjective feeling that life goes exactly as it should be; everything that happens to a person comes logically, as it should be; the person himself – in his place; both externally and internally, corresponds to every moment of his life. This feeling, which gives a person peace of mind and hope for the best, is the result of her assessment and the formed attitude to various (external and internal) circumstances of her life.

The conclusion about the difference between foreign positive psychology and post-soviet in the interpretation of the concept of psychological well-being is made. In particular, positive psychology and its representatives analyze mainly its structure and the variety of factors that can influence on the appearance of a sense of psychological well-being, while post-soviet psychology tends to focus primarily on attempts to include psychological well-being to the structure of the phenomenon of general well-being, which can lead the concept of psychological well-being to deprivation of detailed independent analysis.

Keywords: subjective and psychological wellbeing, eudaimonic, hedonic, self-realization, happiness, life satisfaction.

Accepted: 03.20.2018

Reviewed: 04.02.2018

Published: 04.11.2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31108/3.2019.2.8.6

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