IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/chinre/v14y2021i1d10.1007_s12187-020-09748-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Children’s Perspectives on Scale Response Options of Subjective Well-Being Measures: A Comparison between Numerical and Verbal-Response Formats

Author

Listed:
  • Carme Montserrat

    (University of Girona)

  • Shazly Savahl

    (University of the Western Cape)

  • Sabirah Adams

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Brîndușa Antonia Grigoraș

    (“Babeș-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca)

  • Claudia Bacter

    (University of Oradea)

  • Sergiu Bălțătescu

    (University of Oradea)

Abstract

It is crucial to establish the validity of existing measures of children’s subjective well-being (SWB) for use within specific contexts. Two important measurement issues that implicate the validly of SWB scales are ‘question framing’ and ‘response options’. Fundamental to the latter is the concept of scale granularity, which refers to the number of response options imposed on a scale. However, the majority of studies on the topic have used adult and not child samples. The overarching aim of the study was to explore how children from three different contexts (Catalonia, Cape Town and North-Western Romania) perceive, understand, and make sense of SWB instruments, using focus group interviews and thematic analysis. A key finding of the study was the similarities in children’s understandings of the response options across these contexts. While this does not represent a claim for a ‘universal understanding’ of measurement scale response formats, it is suggesting that there are similar cognitive processes that children across the contexts apply when making sense of and deciding on which response option to endorse (for both verbal and numerical formats). Another key finding is the unique perspective on the process of how children make sense of the scale declarative statement in relation to these response options, and the life aspects they draw on for the final endorsement. Future studies should endeavour to focus on a range of different contexts and cohorts of children and include various types of measurement scales and response options.

Suggested Citation

  • Carme Montserrat & Shazly Savahl & Sabirah Adams & Brîndușa Antonia Grigoraș & Claudia Bacter & Sergiu Bălțătescu, 2021. "Children’s Perspectives on Scale Response Options of Subjective Well-Being Measures: A Comparison between Numerical and Verbal-Response Formats," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(1), pages 53-75, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:14:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s12187-020-09748-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s12187-020-09748-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12187-020-09748-2
    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/s12187-020-09748-2?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. Robert Cummins, 2010. "Subjective Wellbeing, Homeostatically Protected Mood and Depression: A Synthesis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Ferran Casas & Sergiu Bălţătescu & Irma Bertran & Mònica González & Adrian Hatos, 2013. "School Satisfaction Among Adolescents: Testing Different Indicators for its Measurement and its Relationship with Overall Life Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being in Romania and Spain," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 111(3), pages 665-681, May.
    3. W. Paul Jones & Scott A. Loe, 2013. "Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(2), pages 21582440134, May.
    4. Ferran Casas & Germà Coenders & Mònica González & Sara Malo & Irma Bertran & Cristina Figuer, 2012. "Testing the Relationship Between Parents’ and Their Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1031-1051, December.
    5. Bob Thompson, 2008. "Liveability," ERES eres2008_275, European Real Estate Society (ERES).
    6. Asher Ben-Arieh, 2000. "Beyond Welfare: Measuring and Monitoring the State of Children – New Trends and Domains," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 52(3), pages 235-257, December.
    7. Adrian J. Tomyn & Matthew D. Fuller-Tyszkiewicz & Robert A. Cummins & Jacolyn M. Norrish, 2017. "The Validity of Subjective Wellbeing Measurement for Children: Evidence Using the Personal Wellbeing Index—School Children," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 1859-1875, December.
    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. Rasmus Riad & Mara Westling Allodi & Eva Siljehag & Carina Wikman & Tamsin Ford & Sven Bölte, 2021. "How I Feel About My School—Adaptation and Validation of an Educational Well-Being Measure among Young Children in Sweden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-14, May.

    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. Lili Tian & Li Zhang & E. Scott Huebner & Xiaoting Zheng & Wang Liu, 2016. "The Longitudinal Relationship Between School Belonging and Subjective Well-Being in School Among Elementary School Students," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 11(4), pages 1269-1285, December.
    2. Jorge J. Varela & Constanza González & Mónica Bravo-Sanzana & Roberto Melipillán & Fernando Reyes-Reyes & Daniela Pacheco-Olmedo, 2024. "School Violence, School Bonding and Adherence to School Norms and its Association with Life Satisfaction Among Chilean and Foreign Students," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 31-56, February.
    3. Lili Tian & Dushen Wang & E. Huebner, 2015. "Development and Validation of the Brief Adolescents’ Subjective Well-Being in School Scale (BASWBSS)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 120(2), pages 615-634, January.
    4. Rasmus Riad & Mara Westling Allodi & Eva Siljehag & Carina Wikman & Tamsin Ford & Sven Bölte, 2021. "How I Feel About My School—Adaptation and Validation of an Educational Well-Being Measure among Young Children in Sweden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-14, May.
    5. Berta Ferrer-Rosell & Germa Coenders & Estela Marine-Roig, 2017. "Is planning through the Internet (un)related to trip satisfaction?," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 229-244, June.
    6. Adrian Tomyn & Robert Cummins & Jacolyn Norrish, 2015. "The Subjective Wellbeing of ‘At-Risk’ Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australian Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 813-837, August.
    7. 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.
    8. Aline Riboli Marasca & Maurício Scopel Hoffmann & Anelise Reis Gaya & Denise Ruschel Bandeira, 2021. "Subjective Well-Being and Psychopathology Symptoms: Mental Health Profiles and their Relations with Academic Achievement in Brazilian Children," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(3), pages 1121-1137, June.
    9. Lisa A. Newland & Daniel Mourlam & Gabrielle Strouse, 2018. "A Phenomenological Exploration of the Role of Digital Technology and Media in Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(5), pages 1563-1583, October.
    10. Heiko Rüger & Stefanie Hoherz & Norbert F. Schneider & Herbert Fliege & Maria M. Bellinger & Brenton M. Wiernik, 2023. "The Effects of Urban Living Conditions on Subjective Well-Being: The Case of German Foreign Service Employees," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1939-1963, August.
    11. Dang, Hai-Anh H. & Abanokova, Kseniya, 2022. "Do Gender, Child, and Parent Characteristics Contribute to Intergenerational Subjective Well-being Mobility? Evidence from Russia during 1994-2019," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1088, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    12. Ben-Arieh, Asher, 2006. "Is the study of the "State of our children" changing? Re-visiting after 5 years," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(7), pages 799-811, July.
    13. N. Rickard & D. Vella-Brodrick, 2014. "Changes in Well-Being: Complementing a Psychosocial Approach with Neurobiological Insights," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(2), pages 437-457, June.
    14. Ben-Arieh, Asher, 2012. "How do we measure and monitor the “state of our children”?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 569-575.
    15. Mark B. Taylor, 2021. "Counter Corporate Litigation: Remedy, Regulation, and Repression in the Struggle for a Just Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-24, September.
    16. Adrian Tomyn & Robert Cummins, 2011. "Subjective Wellbeing and Homeostatically Protected Mood: Theory Validation With Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(5), pages 897-914, October.
    17. Merle Taimalu & Anja Lahikainen & Piia Korhonen & Inger Kraav, 2007. "Self-Reported Fears as Indicators of Young Children’s Well-Being in Societal Change: A Cross-Cultural Perspective," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 80(1), pages 51-78, January.
    18. Kimina Lyall & George Youssef & Antonina Mikocka-Walus & Subhadra Evans & Robert A. Cummins, 2023. "Exploring Evidence for Mindfulness and Subjective Wellbeing Homeostatic Resilience Buffering Depression and Stress Symptoms Associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 1663-1682, June.
    19. Sebastiano Costa & Antonino Bianco & Valentina Polizzi & Marianna Alesi, 2021. "Happiness in Physical Activity: A Longitudinal Examination of Children Motivation and Negative Affect in Physical Activity," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1643-1655, April.
    20. Vinod Mishra & Ingrid Nielsen & Russell Smyth, 2014. "How Does Relative Income and Variations in Short-Run Wellbeing Affect Wellbeing in the Long Run? Empirical Evidence From China’s Korean Minority," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 67-91, January.

    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:chinre:v:14:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s12187-020-09748-2. 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.