Abstract
The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) is a 5-item, 7-point Likert scale that assesses global cognitive judgments about one’s satisfaction with life as single factor. As opposed to the emotional or affective component, the scale was developed to represent the judgment or cognitive component and thus does not measure positive or negative affect. A series of initial validation studies indicated SWLS has high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, content validity, and convergent validity. Subsequently, the scale has been translated to 30 different languages with satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, discriminant validity, and convergent validity. Psychometric evaluations have demonstrated that the SWLS is stable, yet sensitive to detect changes in life satisfaction occurring during psychotherapy or major life events. Although the SWLS has been used with a wide range of cohorts, it is considered to be most appropriate for use in nonclinical populations.
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Appendix: Satisfaction with Life Scale ( SWLS)
Appendix: Satisfaction with Life Scale ( SWLS)
Instructions
Below are five statements that you may agree or disagree with. Indicate your agreement with each item by tapping the appropriate box, from strongly agree, to strongly disagree. Please be open and honest in your responding.
Strongly agree | Agree | Slightly agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Slightly disagree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | In most ways my life is close to my ideal. | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
2 | The conditions of my life are excellent. | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
3 | I am satisfied with my life. | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
4 | So far I have gotten the important things I want in life. | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
5 | If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing. | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
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Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
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Townshend, K. (2023). Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). In: Medvedev, O.N., Krägeloh, C.U., Siegert, R.J., Singh, N.N. (eds) Handbook of Assessment in Mindfulness Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77644-2_83-1
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