A Comparative Study of Orphan and Non-orphan Adolescences in Relation to Subjective Well- Being, Self-Esteem, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, and Hope

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of place of living (orphanage and non-orphanage) children and gender (males and females) on self-esteem, subjective well-being, emotional intelligence, resilience and hope. The sample consists of 80 orphanage adolescences (40 males and 40 females) and 80 non-orphanage adolescences (40 males and 40 females). The age ranged from 12 to 17 years. The data was collected by using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, Ryff’s psychological well-being scale, Schutte emotional intelligence test, Snyder’s hope scale and Wagnild and Young’s resilience scale. The data were analyzed using factorial ANOVA (2×2), t-test, correlation and linear regression. The ANOVA results indicate that place of living (orphanage and non-orphanage) has an effect on self-esteem, emotional intelligence, subjective well-being, sub-components of well-being, hope and its sub-components. Adolescents who live with their parents have more self-esteem, are more emotionally intelligent, and scored higher on overall subjective well-being and its sub-components (autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life and self-acceptance). Further, they are more hopeful and scored higher on sub-components (pathway and agency) of hope. Results also indicate that gender has an effect on resilience and sub-component of hope (agency). Females of both group (orphanage and non-orphanage) are more resilient and scored higher on agency thinking than males. The results indicate that gender (male and female) and place of living (orphanage and non-orphanage) have an interaction effect on some of the sub-components of well-being (autonomy, positive relations with others) and hope (overall). Further, the regression results divulged that place of living causes 25 percent variance in emotional intelligence, 14 percent variance in subjective well-being-planning, 8% variance in subjective well-being total and happiness total, 7% variance in self-esteem and happiness-pathway thinking,

and 6% variance in subjective well-being-positive growth and subjective well-being-self acceptance. On the basis of above findings it can be said that place of living plays an essential role in the psychological and physical growth of a child and adolescence.