A New Measure of Life Satisfaction: The Riverside Life Satisfaction Scale

Area of Science:

• Psychological Measurement
• Well-being Research

Background:

• The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) has been the primary measure of life satisfaction for over 30 years.
• Existing measures may not fully capture the nuances of life satisfaction or account for response biases like acquiescence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved, broader measure of life satisfaction.
• To introduce indirect indicators and mitigate acquiescence bias.
• To create the Riverside Life Satisfaction Scale (RLSS).

Main Methods:

• Development of a 6-item scale (RLSS) across three studies.
• Assessment of reliability (internal consistency, test-retest stability).
• Evaluation of validity through correlations with well-being measures, personality traits, values, and demographics.

Main Results:

• The RLSS demonstrated high internal consistency, test-retest stability, and unidimensionality.
• The RLSS correlated as expected with various psychological constructs.
• Evidence supports the reliability and validity of the new scale.

Conclusions:

• The RLSS is a reliable and valid measure of life satisfaction.
• It enhances the SWLS by increasing construct breadth and reducing bias.
• The RLSS offers a valuable alternative for assessing life satisfaction.