Validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender

The general purpose of this study was to explore the measurement of life satisfaction in older adolescents over time using a nationally representative sample. One specific aim was to capitalize on a pre-existing dataset that included a measure of life satisfaction yet to be validated. Another specif...

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Main Authors: Mahoney, J., Quested, Eleanor, Thogersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie, Ntoumanis, N., Gucciardi, D.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Pergamon Press 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3645
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author Mahoney, J.
Quested, Eleanor
Thogersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie
Ntoumanis, N.
Gucciardi, D.
author_facet Mahoney, J.
Quested, Eleanor
Thogersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie
Ntoumanis, N.
Gucciardi, D.
author_sort Mahoney, J.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The general purpose of this study was to explore the measurement of life satisfaction in older adolescents over time using a nationally representative sample. One specific aim was to capitalize on a pre-existing dataset that included a measure of life satisfaction yet to be validated. Another specific aim was to examine the measurement invariance of the best fitting model for this scale across gender, time, and the interaction of these two variables. Participants (N = 7643) completed a 12-item scale designed as part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) project. Participants of the 2003 Cohort completed this scale across three waves. Single-group confirmatory factor analyses supported the superiority of a two-factor model (i.e., current life satisfaction; satisfaction with future prospects) of life satisfaction in the overall sample and across gender and time. Results from a series of multi-group confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the two-factor model exhibited strong measurement invariance (i.e., configural, metric, scalar, invariant factor co/variances and uniqueness) across gender, time, and gender × time. Collectively, these findings support the LSAY scale as a stable measure of perceived life satisfaction in older Australian adolescents.
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publishDate 2016
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-36452017-09-13T14:45:47Z Validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender Mahoney, J. Quested, Eleanor Thogersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie Ntoumanis, N. Gucciardi, D. The general purpose of this study was to explore the measurement of life satisfaction in older adolescents over time using a nationally representative sample. One specific aim was to capitalize on a pre-existing dataset that included a measure of life satisfaction yet to be validated. Another specific aim was to examine the measurement invariance of the best fitting model for this scale across gender, time, and the interaction of these two variables. Participants (N = 7643) completed a 12-item scale designed as part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) project. Participants of the 2003 Cohort completed this scale across three waves. Single-group confirmatory factor analyses supported the superiority of a two-factor model (i.e., current life satisfaction; satisfaction with future prospects) of life satisfaction in the overall sample and across gender and time. Results from a series of multi-group confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the two-factor model exhibited strong measurement invariance (i.e., configural, metric, scalar, invariant factor co/variances and uniqueness) across gender, time, and gender × time. Collectively, these findings support the LSAY scale as a stable measure of perceived life satisfaction in older Australian adolescents. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3645 10.1016/j.paid.2016.05.015 Pergamon Press restricted
spellingShingle Mahoney, J.
Quested, Eleanor
Thogersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie
Ntoumanis, N.
Gucciardi, D.
Validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender
title Validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender
title_full Validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender
title_fullStr Validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender
title_full_unstemmed Validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender
title_short Validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender
title_sort validating a measure of life satisfaction in older adolescents and testing invariance across time and gender
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3645