Satisfaction With Life Scale: analysis of factorial invariance, mean structures and reliability

The purpose of this study was to test the factorial invariance of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) across sexes. After establishing an appropriate baseline model a hierarchy of successively restrictive models relating to the measurement properties of the scale were specified and estimated. In addition, tests of intercept and factor mean differences were conducted. Data from 258 undergraduates from two British universities (173 males and 85 females) was analysed using the multi-sample procedures in LISREL8. Factor loadings, unique variances and factor variance were found to be invariant across the sexes and no differences were found for the intercepts and factor means. In addition, the scale was found to have high reliability.