SOCIAL TENSION AS A MACRO INDICATOR OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF SOCIETY

Abstract

The aim: This article aims to determine the prospects of studying social tension as a macro indicator of the psychological well-being of society. Materials and methods: A total of 1,200 respondents were included in face-to-face interviews: 548 men and 652 women. The sample represents Ukraine’s adult population at or above the age of 18. We used a 16-item questionnaire developed based on a theoretical model of necessary and sufficient indicators of social tension. Results: This comprehensive study indicates that over the past 15 years, the national elections constituted the most significant factor in reducing social tensions in Ukraine, and the most potent stressor was the global financial crisis of 2008. Contrary to expectations, the COVID-19 pandemic has not provoked the rising social tension; rather, there has been a noticeable decrease. Based on empirical research data, the prospects of scaling the psychological well-being model of an individual to a broader social context are analyzed. In particular, the study of social tension makes it possible to identify and interpret the psychological effects associated with the projection of outwardly displaced individual reactions to complex social situations. Conclusions: We explain how the social tension model can be applied as a macro indicator of psychological well-being at the level of a society. The prospects of creating more valid and reliable indicators of psychological well-being for any given socio-cultural, socio-economic, political context are also identified.