Scale Analysis

The Psychological Well-Being Scales (PWBS-84) is a self-report questionnaire developed by Carol Ryff in 1989 to assess individuals’ levels of well-being.

Purpose of the Scale

The PWBS was designed to explore the personal level of well-being in both adults and adolescents. Well-being is connected to how and why individuals experience their lives in a positive way.

Item Scoring

The PWBS consists of 84 items, divided across six subscales:
Autonomy
Environmental Mastery
Positive Relations with Others
Personal Growth
Purpose in Life
Self-Acceptance
Participants respond using a 6-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 6 (Strongly Agree).

Statistical Analysis

The PWBS produces a total score calculated as the average score across all items, reflecting an individual’s overall psychological well-being. Higher scores indicate a greater sense of well-being.

Validity and Reliability

The scale has been adapted for the Greek population by S. Leontopoulou and has demonstrated good construct validity. All six subscales showed good internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.87 to 0.93. For the Greek sample:
Overall PWBS scale: α = 0.89
Subscales: α = 0.86 to 0.89

References

Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069.
Greek adaptation: S. Leontopoulou