Samsonenko L.S. Subjective well-being as predictor of deviant behaviour in adolescence

The article addresses the characteristics of subjective well‑being and the tendency towards deviant behaviour in adolescence. The relevance of the study is accounted for by the growing prevalence of deviant behaviour among adolescents and the contradictory nature of existing data on the role of subjective well-being as a mediating factor in behavioral strategies. The results of the empirical study, conducted on a sample of 68 13-16-year-old students, are presented. The Subjective Well-Being Scale (A. Peroué-Badou, G. Mendelson, and J. Shish, adapted by M.V. Sokolova) and the Deviant Behaviour Scale (A.N. Orel) have been applied. A paradoxical result has been obtained, i.e. adolescents with declared subjective well-being demonstrate statistically significantly higher rates of addiction and delinquency compared to adolescents experiencing pronounced emotional discomfort. The data obtained are interpreted as the action of the denial defense mechanism, the desire for social desirability of the study participants, and the lack of psychological attention to «superficially well-adjusted» adolescents. Based on the differentiation of the sample by the level of subjective well-being, practical recommendations for psychological and pedagogical support of different groups of adolescents are proposed.