Measurement invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale: reviewing three decades of research
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REVIEW
Measurement invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale: reviewing three decades of research Scott D. Emerson1 · Martin Guhn1 · Anne M. Gadermann1
Accepted: 13 March 2017 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017
Abstract Purpose The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) is a widely used measure of life satisfaction, a key aspect in quality of life. The SWLS has been used across many socio-demographic groups. Comparison of life satisfaction across different subgroups (e.g., cultures) is meaningful to researchers; such cross-group comparison presupposes that validity of the inferences from SWLS scores holds across various subgroups (measurement invariance: MI). The aim of the present review was to identify, summarize, and evaluate research testing measurement invariance of the SWLS. Methods A targeted literature search identified articles (published 1985–2016) that examined MI of the SWLS using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. Results The search retrieved 27 articles, representing 66,380 respondents across 24 nations. Gender, age, and culture were the most common types of MI assessed. Most articles used translated (non-English) versions of the SWLS. The highest level of MI tested in each article (i.e., configural, metric, scalar, strict) varied. Findings generally supported a unidimensional structure (configural MI), but less commonly supported were equivalent factor loadings (metric MI). Over half of the gender invariance analyses supported scalar or strict MI, whereas scalar or strict MI was supported in only 1 of the 11 culture MI analyses and 1 of the 9 age MI analyses. Conclusions Findings suggest meaningful comparisons of SWLS means across gender may be valid in some * Scott D. Emerson [email protected] 1
Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
situations, but most likely not across culture or age groups. Participants mostly ascribe similar meaning to like items on the SWLS regardless of their gender, but age and especially culture seem to influence this process. Keywords Satisfaction with Life Scale · Measurement invariance · Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis · Gender · Culture · Age
Background In recent decades, interest in subjective quality of life has surged. There is a recognition that incorporating self-reports of quality of life and well-being can support decision-making in domains such as education, transport, and healthcare [1]. For instance, some have suggested that patient-reported outcome measures—many of which include self-reported health-related quality of life—could improve healthcare planning and service delivery [2]. There is a recognition that a society’s public policy should ultimately aim to enhance its members’ subjective wellbeing [3]. To better understand subjective well-being, and to enable its promotion through decision-making and planning, accurate measurement instruments are needed. A widely used measure of the cogniti
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