Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) Among Middle Adolescents in a Collectivist Cultural Setting

Abstract

Although a growing body of research has examined the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale among late adolescent, adult, and older adult populations, there is a dearth of research examining the properties among middle adolescents across countries and cultures. This study therefore examined the psychometric properties—reliability, validity, temporal stability, and gender invariance—of the SWLS among a sample of middle adolescent students attending English-medium schools in the collectivist cultural setting of India. McDonald’s omega coefficient indicated that the SWLS scores showed evidence of reliability. The results of confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated the factorial validity of the SWLS scores. Bivariate correlational analyses provided support for the convergent and discriminant validity of the SWLS scores. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the SWLS scores significantly and positively predicted engagement scores and overall school GPA, thereby demonstrating the predictive validity of the SWLS scores. The test–retest reliability coefficient demonstrated the temporal stability of the SWLS scores. The results of multigroup confirmatory factor analysis provided support for gender invariance in the SWLS scores. Taken together, the results show that the SWLS is a psychometrically sound measure appropriate for assessing subjective well-being among middle adolescents enrolled in English-medium schools in a collectivist culture.