This article reports the development and validation of a scale to measure global life satisfaction, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Among the various components of subjective well-being, the SWLS is narrowly focused to assess global life satisfaction and does not tap related constructs such as positive affect or loneliness. The SWLS is shown to have favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and high temporal reliability. Scores on the SWLS correlate moderately to highly with other measures of subjective well-being, and correlate predictably with specific personality characteristics. It is noted that the SWLS is suited for use with different age groups, and other potential uses of the scale are discussed.

The Satisfaction with Life Scale

This article reports the development and validation of a scale to measure global life satisfaction, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Among the various components of subjective well-being, the SWLS is narrowly focused to assess global life satisfaction and does not tap related constructs such as positive affect or loneliness. The SWLS is shown to have favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and high temporal reliability. Scores on the SWLS correlate moderately to highly with other measures of subjective well-being, and correlate predictably with specific personality characteristics. It is noted that the SWLS is Suited for use with different age groups, and other potential uses of the scale are discussed.

The Satisfaction With Life Scale.

Reigning measures of psychological well-being have little theoretical grounding, despite an extensive literature on the contours of positive functioning. Aspects of well-being derived from this literature (i.e., self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth) were operationalized. Three hundred and twenty-one men and women, divided among young, middle-aged, and older adults, rated themselves on these measures along with six instruments prominent in earlier studies (i.e., affect balance, life satisfaction, self-esteem, morale, locus of control, depression). Results revealed that positive relations with others, autonomy, purpose in life, and personal growth were not strongly tied to prior assessment indexes, thereby supporting the claim that key aspects of positive functioning have not been represented in the empirical arena. Furthermore, age profiles revealed a more differentiated pattern of well-being than is evident in prior research.

/pdf/happiness-is-everything-or-is-it-explorations-on-the-meaning-4e8ub9008s.pdf

Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being.

The literature on subjective well-being (SWB), including happiness, life satisfaction, and positive affect, is reviewed in three areas: measurement, causal factors, and theory. Psychometric data on single-item and multi-item subjective well-being scales are presented, and the measures are compared. Measuring various components of subjective well-being is discussed. In terms of causal influences, research findings on the demographic correlates of SWB are evaluated, as well as the findings on other influences such as health, social contact, activity, and personality. A number of theoretical approaches to happiness are presented and discussed: telic theories, associationistic models, activity theories, judgment approaches, and top-down versus bottom-up conceptions.

Subjective Well-Being

https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2651&context=soss_research

Subjective Well-being

Adjustment to Retirement: A Cross-National Study.

The 1970's have seen a major growth of interest and work in the field of Life-span Developmental Psychology. To psychologists, the field known as Developmental Psychology, in 1970 and earlier, generally meant the study of child and adolescent development up to the age of 18 or 20. Now, the study of human development through the life cycle is bound to require major attention to the adult decades of life and Developmental Psychology must pay attention to those years. This paper will describe that work being done on the adult segment of the life

Life-span Developmental Psychology and Education

Cross-national research : social-psychological methods and problems

The culture of the Indian child equips him well or poorly for edu cation in American schools, depending on how well his culture matches that of the American society which surrounds him. Motivation for school achievement, for instance, is poor by white standards among children of Indian tribes whose culture is based on co-operation rather than on competition. Innately, Indian children have about the same mental equipment as have white children, but their cultural status and experiences cause them to rank lower on educational achievement tests, especially in high-school subjects.—Ed.

Robert J. Havighurst

Papers

Adjustment to Retirement: A Cross-National Study.

Life-span Developmental Psychology and Education

Cross-national research : social-psychological methods and problems

Education Among American Indians: Individual and Cultural Aspects:

Who should go to college