Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale – MSLSS
A self-report instrument designed to profile children's and adolescents' life satisfaction across key specific domains.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale – MSLSS was developed by Scott Huebner, Ph.D. (2001). It is designed to measure Life Satisfaction. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents (grades 3-12).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 40 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Family, Friends, School, Living Environment, Self.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Family | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 | 7 |
| Friends | 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16 | 9 |
| School | 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24 | 8 |
| Living Environment | 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33 | 9 |
| Self | 34,35,36,37,38,39,40 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Often, 4 = Almost always.
The scale includes 10 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 40 to 160. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Life Satisfaction: 40 – 80
- Moderate Life Satisfaction: 81 – 120
- High Life Satisfaction: 121 – 160
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .70 to .90.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.