Cross-cultural adaptation, psychometric proprieties and factor structure of the Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS): A study with Palestinian children living in refugee camps

Abstract

The Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) is a quantitative tool that has mainly been developed in Western cultural contexts as a measure of children’s global satisfaction with their lives. The aim of the present study was to adapt the MSLSS for use with a sample of Palestinian primary school children (N = 1215) living in refugee camps. The instrument’s factor structure was analyzed via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The divergent validity of the MSLSS scores was tested with respect to self-rated measurements of affect balance and symptoms of trauma. The results supported a robust four-factor 14-item structure (RMSEA = .030; NFI = .973, TLI = .981; CFI = .985) with good internal reliability. The four factors were satisfaction with family, friends, school and environment and they were stable across age groups. In conclusion, this adapted version of the MSLSS in Arabic is a quick, valid, and reliable scale for assessing children’s life satisfaction that may be used in contexts of political violence and low-intensity warfare.