Skip to main content
Log in

Validation of the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale in a Sample of Chinese University Students

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study aims at validating the Temporal Satisfaction With Life Scale (TSWLS; Pavot et al., 1998, `The Temporal Satisfaction With Life Scale', Journal of Personality Assessment 70, pp. 340–354) in a non-western context. Data from 646 Chinese university students (330 females and 316 males) supported the three-factor structure of the TSWLS. However, the first and fifth items in each subscale (past, present, and future) showed a series of problems. With these items excluded, the 9-item model provided a better fit to the data than the 15-item model while the factor structure remained almost unchanged. The author recommends that the 9-item TSWLS be used to measure temporal life satisfaction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Abdallah, T.: 1998, ‘The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS): Psychometric properties in an Arabic-speaking sample’, International Journal of Adolescence & Youth 7, pp. 113–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, F.M. and J P. Robinson: 1991, ‘Measures of subjective well-being’, in J.P. Robinson, P.R. Shaver and L. Wrightsman (eds.), Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes. Measures of Social Psychological Attitudes, Vol. 1 (Academic Press, Inc, San Diego, CA, US), pp. 61–114

  • Andrews F.M. and Withey S.B. (1976). Social Indicators of Well-being: Americans’ Perceptions of Life Quality. Plenum Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Arrindell W.A., Heesink J. and Feij J.A. (1999). The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS): Appraisal with 1700 health young adults in The Netherlands. Personality & Individual Differences 26: 815–826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atienza F.L., Balaguer I. and Garcia-Merita M.L. (2003). Satisfaction with Life Scale: Analysis of factorial invariance across sexes. Personality & Individual Differences 35: 1255–1260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentler P.M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin 107: 238–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentler P.M. and Bonett D.G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin 88: 588–606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blais M.R., Vallerand R.J., Pelletier L.G. and Brière N.M. (1989). L’Échelle de satisfaction de vie: Validation canadienne-française du “Satisfaction with Life Scale” (The satisfaction scale: Canadian-French validation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale). Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science 21: 210–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin 95: 542–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener E., Emmons R.A., Larsen R.J. and Griffin S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment 49: 71–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener E., Suh E.M., Lucas R.E. and Smith H.L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin 125: 276–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog K.G. and Sörbom D. (1993). LISREL 8: User’s Reference Guide. Scientific Software International, Chicago, IL

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis C.A., Shevlin M.E., Smekal V. and Dorahy M.J. (1999). Factor structure and reliability of a Czech translation of the Satisfaction With Life Scale among Czech university students. Studia Psychologica 41: 239–244

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald R.P. (1999). Test Theory: A Unified Treatment. L. Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh C.N. (2001). Report on the construct validity of the Temporal Satisfaction With Life Scale. Social Indicators Research 54: 37–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neto F (1993). The Satisfaction With Life Scale: Psychometrics properties in an adolescent sample. Journal of Youth & Adolescence 22: 125–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pavot W. and Diener E. (1993). Review of the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Psychological Assessment 5: 164–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pavot W., Diener E. and Suh E. (1998). The Temporal Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment 70: 340–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pavot W.G., Diener E., Colvin C.R. and Sandvik E. (1991). Further validation of the Satisfaction With Life Scale: Evidence for the cross-method convergence of well-being measures. Journal of Personality Assessment 57: 149–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sachs J. (2004). Validation of the Satisfaction With Life Scale in a sample of Hong Kong university students. Psychologia: An International Journal of Psychology in the Orient 46: 225–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman M.E.P. and Csikszentmihalyi M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist 55: 5–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shin D.C. and Johnson D.M. (1978). Avowed happiness as an overall assessment of the quality of life. Social Indicators Research 5: 475–492

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steiger J.H. (1990). Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach. Multivariate Behavioral Research 25: 173–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trautwein, U.: 2004, ‘The temporal facet of life satisfaction. A German adaptation of the scale of Pavot, Diener and Suh (1998)/Die temporalen Facetten der Lebenszufriedenheit: Eine deutsche Adaptation der Skala von Pavot, Diener und Suh (1998)’, Diagnostica 50, pp. 182–192

  • Tucker, L.R. and C. Lewis: 1973, ‘A reliability coefficient for maximum likelihood factor analysis’, Psychometrika, pp. 1–10

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ye, S. Validation of the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale in a Sample of Chinese University Students. Soc Indic Res 80, 617–628 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-006-0010-2

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-006-0010-2

Key words

Navigation