Life Satisfaction Scales Comparative Reliability Practices

Emergence of positive psychology in recent years has shifted researches focused on aspects of psychological Wellness rather than psychopathology. Within the context of positive psychology, life satisfaction has emerged as a key variable of study in relation to adult and youth populations. An accurate measurement of life satisfaction and subsequent interpretation of results requires assessment devices to yield strong psychometric properties. In terms of consistent measurement, reliability estimates must be calculated with each administration, as changes in sample characteristics may alter the scale's ability to generate reliable scores. The present study was designed to address reliability reporting practices for three youth life satisfaction measures. Forty eight occasions of use were identified in the literature for the three scales examined in this study. Results suggest that greater than half of the life satisfaction studies calculated reliability coefficients from their own data. A discussion of reliability from classical test theory is provided, examples of correct reliability reporting practices are given, and implications for reporting reliability are discussed