Rich Gilman

Further Validation of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale:

The psychometric properties of a childrens life satisfaction measure (MSLSS; Huebner, 1994) were assessed with a middle school sample of 291 students. Similar to findings with elementary school students, the MSLSS demonstrated preliminary evidence of reliability and validity for research purposes. The results of confirmatory factor analyses supported the five satisfaction domains identified in previous research with younger students, along with a single higher-order general life satisfaction factor. Relationships among life satisfaction domains, demographic variables, and social desirability responses were discussed. Potential uses of the MSLSS and future research needs were also discussed.

A First Study of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale with Adolescents

The psychometric properties of the MultidimensionalStudents’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS: Huebner, 1994) were assessed with a sample of adolescents fromgrades 9–12. Results of confirmatory factor analysessupported the hypothesized factor structure. Further,evidence for the convergent and discriminant validityof the instrument was obtained. Acceptable internalconsistency estimates for the Total and domain scoreswere also obtained. These psychometric propertieswere similar to findings of the MSLSS with youngerchildren. Limitations and future researchconsiderations were discussed.

The Relationship between Life Satisfaction, Social Interest, and Frequency of Extracurricular Activities among Adolescent Students

The relationship between life satisfaction, social interest, and participation in extracurricular activities was assessed among adolescent students. A total of 321 high school adolescents (Grades 9–12) were administered a multidimensional measure of life satisfaction and a scale that assessed social interest. Adolescents were also asked to list the number of extracurricular activities that they participated in since their enrollment in high school. Higher social interest was significantly related to higher levels of overall satisfaction, as well as satisfaction with friends and family. Significant race differences were noted. Adolescents who participated in greater numbers of structured extracurricular activities reported higher school satisfaction. The relationship between social interest and actual participation in extracurricular activities was negligible. Implications of these findings, as well as suggestions for future research are provided.

An Introduction to the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale

QOL researchers have primarily focused their attention on adults. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the rationale, development, and psychometric properties of a multidimensional life satisfaction scale appropriate for children and youth, the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS: Huebner, 1994; Huebner et al., 1998). This multidimensional self-report scale was designed for use with students from third through the twelfth grades. The current version of the MSLSS includes 40 items intended to assess satisfaction with five specific domains (School, Self, Family, Friends, and Living Environment). The presentation will summarize a series of recent studies assessing its reliability, factor structure, and convergent and discriminant validity. Additionally, the potential usefulness of children’s life satisfaction scales for research and clinical applications were discussed.

Validation of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale Among College Students.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the psychometric properties of the BMSLSS among 522 college students. METHODS Internal consistency reliability explored scale reliability, factor analysis explored construct validity, known-groups validity was assessed by use of items from the National College Youth Risk Behavior Survey and Harvard National Survey of Alcohol Use, and criterion-related validity was explored through analyses with the CDCs Health-Related Quality of Life Scale. RESULTS Acceptable internal consistency reliability, construct, known-groups, and criterion-related validity were established. CONCLUSIONS These findings offer preliminary support for the BMSLSS; it could serve as part of comprehensive evaluations of subjective QOL for program evaluation and/or policy purposes among college students.

Changes in Life Satisfaction as a Function of Stay in a Residential Setting

ABSTRACT Various authors have argued for the inclusion of well-being measures in order to assess childrens quality of life in residential settings. In the present study, twenty-two children admitted to a residential treatment program were administered a multidimensional life satisfaction scale. The children were re-administered the instrument again approximately four months later. Results revealed that the present sample reported positive satisfaction ratings across all life satisfaction domains. Further, significant positive increases on their Global, Friends, Self, and Total satisfaction scores were noted upon re-administration. Implications of the findings, as well as suggestions for future research, are discussed.

Validation of the Self-Description Questionnaire-II with an American Sample.

The psychometric properties of the Self-Description Ques tionnaire-II (SDQ-II) were assessed with an American middle school sample comprising 291 students. Results revealed acceptable internal consistency and four-week stability coefficients for all domain scores and the Total score of the instrument. The results of confirmatory factor analyses supported the convergent validity of the SDQ-II. Although the hypothesized factor structure provided a reasonable fit to the data, the relatively high intercorrelations among some of the SDQ-II scales raised issues related to discriminant validity. Implications of the findings for future research with American children are discussed.