ABSTRACT
Parental stress is defined as a personal response to stressors associated with being a parent. In recent studies, parental stress has been viewed as a component of normative parenting. The purpose of this study was to collect initial evidence of the construct validity and reliability of the Russian version of the 18-item Parental Stress Scale (PSS) using a sample of mothers of Russian primary school students. The results are the first wave of a longitudinal study. Mothers (n = 900) of fourth-grade students participated in the study and filled out an online survey. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the PSS on the Russian mothers indicated two factors: parental stress and parental satisfaction, with good estimates of reliability. The PERMA-Profiler questionnaire was used to examine the convergent and divergent validity of the PSS. The results revealed significant correlations between parental stress and satisfaction and different aspects of well-being among the respondents. The initial investigation of this Russian adaptation of the PSS provides evidence of its reliability and validity. Despite the limitations and the need for further research, this version of the PSS can be recommended for use in studies on modern parenting as well as in psychological support, education, and development of programs promoting positive parent-child relationships by targeting parental needs.
ABSTRACT
Background: Personal authenticity is a person's ability to be oneself and coherent in both his/her personality and the circumstances of his/her life (time, place, and life-calling). The sense of one's true self plays an essential role in peoples' psychological well-being and life goals. Currently, the theory of authenticity is included in existential psychology, the person-centered approach, and the psychology of the subject, but all of these approaches have some methodological limitations. Objective: The aim of the current study was to explore the everyday presentations of the true self among the primary school children and adolescents. It was expected that in adolescence, these representations are more differentiated and mature than at an earlier stage of life. Design: In the exploratory research, 330 respondents took part, including 163 primary school children (74 girls, 87 boys, ages 7 to 11; M = 9.4) and 167 adolescents (78 girls, 89 boys, ages 12 to 17; M = 14.3). A special interview consisting of 11 open and closed-ended questions was developed. The inductive method of content analysis was used. Results: Differences were found in the frequencies of the categories used by primary school children and adolescents. Older respondents described their true selves in more detail; their evaluations were more positive and often included their social life as an inseparable part of themselves, whereas descriptions by the younger children were more sparse, ambiguous, and individualistic. Conclusion: The results obtained can help identify the substantial stages of the genesis of the true self. To develop authenticity, these facts should be taken into consideration.
