Race differences in factorial structures of two measures of subjective well-being

This research examines race differences in the factorial structure of two popular measures of psychological well-being: the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale and the Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA). In particular, we view the covariance structure of the items of each scale as a function of several parameter matrices. We analyzed the factorial invariance by testing hypotheses involving the equivalence constraints of one or more parameter matrices in the White and the Black samples. Data for the research came from the 1968 National Senior Citizens Survey and the 1974 Harris National Council on Aging Survey, Myths and Reality of Aging in America. Analysis of covariance structures, or LISREL, was used to assess the factorial invariance of both the PGC Morale Scale and the LSIA. Race differences were found in the factorial structure of the PGC Morale Scale, but not in the structure of LSIA. In particular, consistent race differences in measurement error variances were found for two items of the PGC Morale Scale.