Satisfaction With Life Scale – SWLS
A 5-item instrument designed to measure global cognitive judgments of one's life satisfaction.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Satisfaction With Life Scale – SWLS was developed by Ed Diener, Robert A. Emmons, Randy J. Larsen, & Sharon Griffin (1985). It is designed to measure Global Life Satisfaction. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 5 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 7 = Strongly Agree).
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 5 to 35. Interpretation guidelines:
- Extremely dissatisfied: 5 – 9
- Dissatisfied: 10 – 14
- Slightly dissatisfied: 15 – 19
- Neutral: 20 – 20
- Slightly satisfied: 21 – 25
- Satisfied: 26 – 30
- Extremely satisfied: 31 – 35
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.87.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 2 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.