CONFIRMATORY FACTOR-ANALYSIS OF THE SATISFACTION WITH LIFE SCALE - REPLICATION AND METHODOLOGICAL REFINEMENT

A 1994 study by Shevlin and Bunting indicated the unidimensionality of the Satisfaction With Life Scale of Diener, Emmons, Larsen, and Griffen and the use of a single-factor confirmatory model; however, due to a small sample their method or estimating procedure was limited. The aim of the present study was to replicate and extend the analysis of Shevlin and Bunting by examining the data from 213 college students. The data were successfully fitted to a single-factor confirmatory model using, first, polychoric correlations analysed with the maximum likelihood method, as used by Shevlin and Bunting, and, second, using polychoric correlations analysed by weighted least squares, as suggested by Joreskog and Sorborn. These findings replicate and extend those of Shevlin and Bunting and further confirm the unidimensionality of the scale.