Linking scores on the 4- and 5-item versions of the Satisfaction with Life Scale in people with traumatic brain, spinal cord, or burn injury: a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Model System study

Measurement Invariance and Construct Validity of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in Community Volunteers in Vietnam

Worldwide, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) has become the most widely used measure of life satisfaction. Recently, an authorized Vietnamese-language version has been introduced. Using a convenience sample comprising community volunteers from Ho Chi Minh City (N = 1073), confirmatory support was found for the cross-national constancy of the one-dimensional structure underlying the SWLS. Corrected item–total polyserial correlations and Omega coefficient were satisfactory. Using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the SWLS factorial structure were tested by gender, age, marital status, income, and educational level. Strong evidence of scalar invariance was found for gender and education, on which relevant subgroups did not differ in terms of latent means. Partial scalar invariance was found for marital status (item 4 and 5) and income (item 4). Being involved in an intimate relationship or having a higher income were associated with higher latent means. Scalar invariance in relation to age was very poor. Accordingly, caution must be exerted when comparing age groups. A high SWLS score was predictive of good self-rated health. Implications of the findings are briefly discussed.

Helping Others Helps Me: Prosocial Behavior and Satisfaction With Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Prosocial behavior (PsB) and its effects have been analyzed in times of crisis and natural disasters, although never before in the face of such exceptional circumstances as those created by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research analyzes the role of PsB on satisfaction with life (SWL) in Colombia, considering the negative emotional impact of events that began in February 2020. We conduct an exploratory analysis using a sample of Colombia's general population (N = 2,574; 53.2% women) with an average age of 44.66 years (SD = 15.36). Using the Classification Tree technique, we find that engaging in one or more PsBs (e.g., donating money or sharing food) enhances SWL and decreases the impact of negative emotions such as pessimism, indecisiveness, and irritability that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings are significant because they confirm the importance of life satisfaction as a personal resource for coping with complex situations and provide evidence of the benefits of PsB on one's wellbeing.