Factor Structure of Subjective Well-Being Among Ukrainians

Abstract

Despite longstanding theoretical and practical interest in subjective well-being (SWB), its structural composition remains debated. Life satisfaction, along with positive and negative affect, is widely recognized as a core component of SWB; however, the nature of their interrelationships within a unified construct is still unclear. This study examined the factor structure of SWB using data from a sample of Ukrainian university students (N = 1111; age range = 18–26 years; 59.0% women). Participants completed the Ukrainian versions of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences (SPANE). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), bifactor CFA, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and bifactor ESEM were employed to evaluate competing theoretical models. Model selection was based on Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) weights, balancing model fit and parsimony. While four models demonstrated adequate fit, the bifactor ESEM model showed the best overall performance. This model accounted for cross-loadings and identified a strong general SWB factor along with three specific components. Measurement invariance across gender was confirmed at the configural, metric, and scalar levels. Findings support the bifactor ESEM as a comprehensive and robust framework for conceptualizing the multidimensional structure of subjective well-being in emerging adults.