Index-Description

The Life Satisfaction Index (LSI) was initially developed by Neugarten and colleagues to measure the subjective sense of life satisfaction, particularly in older adults. It evaluates aspects such as self-esteem, expectations, positive attitudes towards the past and future, acceptance of life, and personal and social relationships.
The scale consists of statements rated on a Likert scale and captures an individual’s perception of their life quality based on overall satisfaction and subjective well-being.

Data Analysis and Usage

Data collected from the LSI are derived from individuals’ responses to the scale’s statements. The analysis of these data typically involves statistical techniques to draw conclusions about the level of life satisfaction.
Some common statistical analyses include:
Reliability analysis to calculate internal consistency (e.g., using Cronbach’s alpha).
Correlation with other psychological and social variables to examine the relationship between life satisfaction and other factors such as mental health or social relationships.
Factor analysis to identify the dimensions that influence life satisfaction.

Purpose

The goal of the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI) is to assess the level of subjective satisfaction that individuals feel about their lives. This tool has been widely used to evaluate well-being in older adults but can be applied to other population groups. The scale aims to determine:
How satisfied individuals are with their lives overall.
Which aspects of their lives contribute most to their general satisfaction.

Calibration

The calibration of the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI) involves the following:
Reliability analysis to determine the stability and internal consistency of responses.
Confirmatory factor analysis to examine the structure of the scale and confirm the validity of the identified factors.
Cross-validation to ensure the scale’s generalizability across different populations and social environments.

Bibliography

Neugarten, B. L., Havighurst, R. J., & Tobin, S. S. (1961). The measurement of life satisfaction. Journal of Gerontology, 16(2), 134-143.
Adams, D. L. (1969). Analysis of a life satisfaction index. Journal of Gerontology, 24(4), 470-474.
Wood, V., Wylie, M. L., & Sheafor, B. (1969). An analysis of a short self-report measure of life satisfaction: Correlation with rater judgments. Journal of Gerontology, 24(4), 465-469.