The validity of the Satisfaction with Life Scale in adolescents and a comparison with single-item life satisfaction measures: a preliminary study.
The validity of the life satisfaction measures commonly used among adults has been rarely examined in adolescent samples. The present research had two main goals: (1) to evaluate the structural validity of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) among adolescents and to test measurement invariance across gender; (2) to compare the criterion and convergent validity of the SWLS and single-item life satisfaction measures among adolescents.



Three samples of Serbian adolescents were recruited for the present research. Study 1 (N = 481, Mage= 17.01 years) examined the structure of the SWLS via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and evaluated measurement invariance of the SWLS across gender by a multi-group CFA. Study 2 (N = 283, Mage= 17.34 years) and Study 3 (N = 220, Mage= 16.73 years) compared the convergent validity of the SWLS and single-item life satisfaction measures.



The results of Study 1 supported the original one-factor model of the SWLS among adolescents and provided evidence for strong measurement invariance of the SWLS across gender. The findings of Study 2 and Study 3 showed that the SWLS and single-item measures were equally valid and strongly associated (r = .734 in Study 2 and r = .668 in Study 3). No substantial differences in correlations with school success and well-being indicators were found between the SWLS and single-item measures.



Our findings support the use of the SWLS among adolescents and indicate that single-item life satisfaction measures perform as well as the SWLS in adolescent samples.
Department of Psychology, University of Novi Sad, Dr. Zorana Đinđića 2, 21 000, Novi Sad, Serbia. vejo@uns.ac.rs.
Veljko
V
Jovanović
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*
Life satisfaction; Measurement invariance; Satisfaction with Life Scale; Single-item measures; Validity