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A Facet Theory Approach to Examining Overall and Life Facet Satisfaction Relationships

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Abstract

Multiple Discrepancies Theory – MDT – (Michalos, 1985)has been established as a leading theory of lifesatisfaction, on the basis of which numerous studieson satisfaction have been designed. Previous researchexamining overall and life facet satisfactionrelationships combined various approaches tounderstanding the interrelationships between thevariables by which individuals measure theirsatisfaction in life. Recently, Lance, Mallard andMichalos (1995) extended the scope of study byexamining the theoretical relationship between overalllife satisfaction (OLS) and satisfaction in variouslife facets (life facet satisfaction – LFS) among1,354 US college students. The present study extendsMDT one step further by applying a Facet Theory (FT)statistical approach to our understanding of the sameset of data. In this way a holistic model emerges,presenting not only the relationship between OLS andLFS, but also the interrelationships between and amongeach and every facet. Results of this analysis arepresented through the correlation matrix and SmallestSpace Analysis (SSA) diagrams. These results arecompared to Levy and Guttman’s (1975) figures in theirstudy on the structure of well-being; although the twostudies examined different populations and askeddifferent questions, the final structural organizationof the data is strikingly similar.

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  1. Bethlehem Road, Jerusalem, 93504, Israel

    Erik H. Cohen

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  1. Erik H. Cohen
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Cohen, E.H. A Facet Theory Approach to Examining Overall and Life Facet Satisfaction Relationships. Social Indicators Research 51, 223–237 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007019526236

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