Developmental psychology, 5 1 2025 Psychological needs and well-being through the eyes of vocational students in Aruba, Dutch Caribbean. Proveyer Llopiz MR, van Schaik SDM, Harkness S, Super CM, Denessen EJPG
Well-being has been thoroughly studied worldwide mostly using questionnaires. Still, it is unclear what well-being means in specific contexts, as studies found that both well-being and underlying psychological needs may vary across cultures. In Aruba, concerns were raised regarding youth well-being. Therefore, this project used a mixed-method approach to explore the development of young people's well-being in Aruba. By taking a culture and human development approach, this project aims to conceptualize the concept and measurement of well-being in context. Students (n = 422) from three vocational schools in Aruba responded to a questionnaire based on the Self Determination Theory. Their age ranged from 16 to 25 years old, 52.7% were female, 43.9% male and 3.4% identified themselves as other. A total of 193 participants identified themselves as Aruban (43.7%), 130 as Aruban mixed with another culture (29.4%) and 118 as non-Aruban (26.7%). A total of 33 students from the larger sample participated in semistructured interviews. Results show moderate rates of satisfaction on the psychological needs questionnaire. Interviews with a subset of the research participants provide a more nuanced understanding of their psychological needs and reveal other needs as well. Cluster analysis shows three subgroups within the interview sample. One group was a less motivated group, the second group had a challenging home environment, and the third group showed high signs of ambition. The discussion focuses on the importance of using mixed methods and considering the cultural context when exploring concepts such as well-being in majority world countries. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
