Abstract:
The goal of the current study was to juxtapose the satisfaction with life and empathy along with the sense of locus of control among homeless women. We used Diener’s Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), adapted to Polish by Z. Juczyński; Rotter’s Internal-External Control Scale, Kazimierczak & Plopa’s Emphatic Sensitivity Scale (scale originally in Polish under the name Skala Wrażliwości Empatycznej, SWE), as well a questionnaire constructed by the author for the purposes of this study.
21 homeless women inhabitants of homeless shelters (Prometeusz and Monar-Markot in Gdańsk, Poland) and residential training and rehabilitation centre (Osiedle Na Sitowiu, Gdańsk, Poland) took part in the study. Results suggest a correlation between the demographic along with psychosocial factors and the assessment of satisfaction with life as well as the levels of empathy of the investigated group. Participant’s satisfaction with life was either low or very low. The empathy levels were also low. The group was characterized by average levels of sense of internal control. A relationship was observed between the levels
of satisfaction with life and the locus of control. Homeless women characterized by a higher sense of satisfaction with life had a sense of external locus of control.
