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Life Satisfaction in Brazil: Testing the Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in Five Brazilian Samples

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Abstract

The aim of this paper was to validate the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), presenting evidence of its reliability and construct and criterion-related validity. A large Brazilian sample (2,180 participants), from five different populations (undergraduate and high school students, general population, elementary school teachers, and physicians), was considered. The results confirmed the single factorial structure and reliability (0.77 < Cronbach’s α < 0.88, mean α = 0.81) of the SWLS. Supporting its criterion-related validity, the SWLS correlated positively with positive affect and negatively with both negative affect and psychological distress across all five samples. The findings indicate that the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the SWLS is a valid instrument to use with diverse Brazilian samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CCHLA – Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Joao Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil

    Valdiney V. Gouveia, Patrícia Nunes da Fonseca & Jorge Artur Peçanha de Miranda Coelho

  2. Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research, School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand

    Taciano L. Milfont

  3. Federal University of Alagoas, Alagoas, Brazil

    Taciano L. Milfont

Authors
  1. Valdiney V. Gouveia
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  2. Taciano L. Milfont
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  3. Patrícia Nunes da Fonseca
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  4. Jorge Artur Peçanha de Miranda Coelho
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Correspondence to Valdiney V. Gouveia.

Appendix: Brazilian-Portuguese Version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS-BP)

Appendix: Brazilian-Portuguese Version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS-BP)

INSTRUÇÕES. Abaixo você encontrará cinco afirmações com as quais pode ou não concordar. Usando a escala de resposta a seguir, que vai de 1 a 7, indique o quanto concorda ou discorda com cada uma; escreva um número no espaço ao lado da afirmação, segundo sua opinião. Por favor, seja o mais sincero possível nas suas respostas.

  • 7 = Concordo totalmente

  • 6 = Concordo

  • 5 = Concordo ligeiramente

  • 4 = Nem concordo nem discordo

  • 3 = Discordo ligeiramente

  • 2 = Discordo

  • 1 = Discordo totalmente

  1. 1.

    _____Na maioria dos aspectos, minha vida é próxima ao meu ideal.

  2. 2.

    _____As condições da minha vida são excelentes.

  3. 3.

    _____Estou satisfeito (a) com minha vida.

  4. 4.

    _____Dentro do possível, tenho conseguido as coisas importantes que quero da vida.

  5. 5.

    _____Se pudesse viver uma segunda vez, não mudaria quase nada na minha vida.

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Gouveia, V.V., Milfont, T.L., da Fonseca, P.N. et al. Life Satisfaction in Brazil: Testing the Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in Five Brazilian Samples. Soc Indic Res 90, 267–277 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-008-9257-0

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