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 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.