To Be the Author of One’s Own Life: Socio-Demographic Determinants of the Authorship Of Their Own Lives

Introduction: The Authorship of Their Own Lives (AOL) construct has undergone multi-threaded theoretical analyses, which have produced a diagnostic tool: The Authorship of Their Own Lives Scale (AOLS). Initially, this scale’s reliability was assessed and used in numerous diagnostic and comparative studies, which gradually became the source of inspiration for further research projects. Research Aim: The research aims to identify selected socio-demographic determinants of the Authorship of Their Own Lives and indicate the relationship between AOL and the respondents’ gender and age, their level of education, and place of residence. Method: The research uses the Authorship of Their Own Lives Scale (AOLS), which was developed on the basis of previous conceptual analyses, exploring the issues of well-being, self-determination, coherence, quality of life, and social support. Results: The research produced varied findings in specific aspects of the Authorship of Their Own Lives. An analysis using Cronbach’s alpha indicated that the Authorship of Their Own Lives Scale (AOLS) demonstrated satisfactory reliability. Statistical studies have revealed that gender and place of residence are linked to AOL, but with a weak effect. However, the age of the respondents and their level of education do not differentiate the Authorship of Their Own Lives. Conclusions: The obtained results are regarded as a preliminary step towards conducting multidimensional diagnostic and comparative analyses of the Authorship of Their Own Lives in various research settings.