Predictors of subjective well-being and life satisfaction of people in late age: applied aspect

Abstract

Introduction. Maintaining and preserving well-being and life satisfaction in late age is an urgent task for society. Research and educational practice prove the positive relationship between learning, active aging and overall well-being. At the same time, the importance of optimizing educational programs based on reliable empirical data on personal characteristics that determine subjective well-being is emphasized. The study aims to identify general and specific predictors of a person’s subjective well-being in late age to determine the main principles of forming educational programs for older people. Materials and methods. The empirical study involved 528 respondents (387 female, 152 male) aged 45-75, the average age was 58 years. A complex of eleven psychodiagnostic methods, combined into three blocks, was implemented: methods for diagnosing subjective well-being, life satisfaction and their hypothetical predictors. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to process the data. Results. Regression models were obtained which describe predictors of types of subjective well-being in late age (model determination coefficients 0.238-0.636) and satisfaction with areas of life (model determination coefficients 0.336-0.619). The results allow specifying the influence mechanisms of such predictors as time perspective, hardiness, purpose in life orientations, optimism, readiness for agerelated changes, coping strategies and self-regulation. Both general and specific predictors, as well as their empirical indicators, were established. Conclusion. Based on the identified predictors of subjective well-being and life satisfaction, the provisions and principles of designing educational programs for people of late age were formulated: creating a time perspective with positive goals, a conflict-free and supportive individual-oriented educational environment, promoting a person’s acceptance and adaptation to new social conditions, creating an adequate understanding of the learning situation, one’s goals and capabilities.