Abstract
Structural invariance of self-rated satisfaction with life data was assessed using four data sets collected in earlier studies by using the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Three measurement models were compared to account for structural variability of the data. Strict structural invariance was rejected. Departure from the one-factor model was only found in data gathered using the items in successive order. When the items were scattered among other items, only quantitative variability was found. The findings did not support the view of a generalized one-factor model but suggested measurement artifacts. Qualitative structural variability impacted the scale reliability estimates. Although experimental replication of an ordering effect is warranted, this study suggests that scattering the items can be recommended in order to optimize the structural validity of this concept.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Anderson, N.H.: 2001, Empirical Direction in Design and Analysis (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ).
Andrews, F.M.: 1991, ‘Stability and change in levels and structure of subjective well-being’, Social Indicators Research 25, pp. 1-30.
Arrindel, W.A., J. Heesink and J.A. Feij: 1999, ‘The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS): Appraisal with 1,700 healthy young adults in The Netherlands’, Personality and Individual Differences 12, pp. 117-123.
Bachman, J.G.: 1970, Youth in Transition II: The Impact of Family Background and Intelligence on Tenth-grade Boys (The Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, MI).
Bentler, P.M.: 1995, EQS Structural Equations Program Manual (Multivariate Software, Enchino, CA). Bentler, P.M.: 1998, EQS for Windows (Version 5.7b) [Computer software] (Multivariate Software, Inc, Encino, CA).
Bentler, P.M.: 2001, EQS 6 Structural Equations Program Manual (Multivariate Software, Ecino, CA).
Blais, M.R. and R.J. Vallerand: 1989, ‘L'échelle de satisfaction de vie: validation canadienne-française du “Satisfaction With Life Scale” [The satisfaction with life scale: Canadian-French validation of the “Satisfaction With Life Scale”]’, Canadian Journal of Behavorial Science 21, pp. 210-223.
Diener, E., R.A. Emmons, R.J. Larsen and S. Griffen: 1985, ‘The Satisfaction With Life Scale’, Journal of Personality Assessment 49, pp. 71-76.
Fan, X.T. and B. Thompson: 2001, ‘Confidence intervals about score reliability coefficients, please: An EPM guidelines editorial’, Educational and Psychological Measurement 61, pp. 517-531.
Green, S.B. and S.L. Hershberger: 2000, ‘Correlated errors in true score models and their effect on coefficient alpha’, Structural Equation Modeling 7, pp. 251-270.
Green, S.B., R.W. Lissitz and S.A. Mulaik: 1977, ‘Limitations of coefficient alpha as an index of test unidimensionality’, Educational and Psychological Measurement 37, pp. 827-838.
Hazelrigg, L.E. and M.A. Hardy: 2000, ‘Scaling the semantics of satisfaction’, Social Indicators Research 49, pp. 147-180.
Jörekog, K.G. and D. Sörbom: 1996, LISREL 8: User's Reference Guide (Scientific Software International, Inc., Chicago).
Kline, P.: 2000, Handbook of Psychological Testing, 2nd ed. (Routledge, London).
Lord, F.M. and M.R. Novick: 1968, Statistical Theories of Mental Test Scores (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA).
MacCallum, R.C., M.W. Browne and H.M. Sugawara: 1996, ‘Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure analysis’, Psychological Methods 1, pp. 130-149.
MacCallum, R.C., M. Roznowski and L.B. Necowitz: 1992, ‘Model modifications in covariance structure analysis: The problem of capitalization on chance’, Psychological Bulletin 111, pp. 490-504.
McDonald, R.P.: 1981, ‘The dimensionality of tests and items’, British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology 34, pp. 110-117.
McDonald, R.P.: 1999, Test Theory: A Unified Treatment (Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ).
McDonald, R.P. and M.-H.R. Ho: 2002, ‘Principles and practice in reporting structural equation analyses’, Psychological Methods 7, pp. 64-82.
McIntosh, C.: 2000, ‘Report on the construct validity of the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale’, Social Indicators Research 54, pp. 37-56.
Mullet, E., M.T. Muñoz Sastre and G. Vinsonneau: 2002, Forgiveness, well-being and paranoïa. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Pavot, W. and E. Diener: 1993, ‘Review of the Satisfaction with Life Scale’, Psychological Assessment 4, pp. 164-171.
Raykov, T.: 1998, ‘A method for obtaining standards errors and confidence intervals of composite reliability for congeneric items’, Applied Psychological Measurement 22, pp. 369-374.
Raykov, T. and P.E. Shrout: 2002, ‘Reliability of scales with general structure: Point and interval estimation using a structural equation modeling approach’, Structural Equation Modeling 9, pp. 195-212.
Rubio, D.M. and D.F. Gillespie: 1995, ‘Problems with errors in structural equation models’, Structural Equation Modeling 2, pp. 367-378.
Salvatore, N. and M.T. Muñoz Sastre: 2001, ‘Life appraisal: “Area” versus “Dimension” conceptualizations’, Social Indicators Research 53, pp. 229-255.
Satorra, A. and W.E. Saris: 1985, ‘Power of the likelihood ratio test in covariance structure analysis’, Psychometrika 50, pp. 83-90.
Schwarz, N. and F. Strack: 1999, ‘Reports of subjective well-being: Judgemental processes and their methodological implications’, in D. Kahneman, E. Diener and N. Schwarz (eds.), Well-being. The Foundations of Hedonic Psychology (Russell Sage Foundation, New York), pp. 61-84.
Silver, C.B. and J.E. Malone: 1993, ‘A scale of personality styles based on DSM-III-R for investigating occupational choice and leisure activities’, Journal of Career Assessment 1, pp. 427-440.
Smith, G.T., D.M. McCarthy and K.G. Anderson: 2000, ‘On the sins of short-form development’, Psychological Assessment 12, pp. 102-111.
StatSoft: 2001, STATISTICA for Windows [Computer software] (Author, Tulsa, OK).
Steiger, J.H.: 1999, ‘Structural equation modeling’, in STATISTICA for Windows (Volume III): Statistics II, 2nd ed. (StatSoft, Tulsa, OK), pp. 3539-3688.
Tourangeau, R. and A. Rasinski: 1988, ‘Cognitive processes underlying context effects in attitude measurement’, Psychological Bulletin 103, pp. 299-314.
Vautier, S. and S. Jmel: in press, ‘Transient error or specificity? An alternative to the staggered equivalent split-half procedure’, Psychological Methods.
Weiss, D.J. and M.L. Davison: 1981, ‘Test theory and methods’, Annual Review of Psychology 32, pp. 629-658.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vautier, S., Mullet, E. & Jmel, S. Assessing the Structural Robustness of Self-Rated Satisfaction With Life: A SEM Analysis. Social Indicators Research 68, 235–249 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SOCI.0000025595.92546.eb
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SOCI.0000025595.92546.eb