Background

The Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale (Pavot et al., 1998) measures judgements of life satisfaction using 15 items, according to three temporal dimensions: past, present, and future.

Aims

Here, we investigated the psychometric properties of the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale in its original English version, as well as in six different translations (Chinese, Czech, Finnish, Hungarian, Slovene, and Spanish), using a large multicultural and multilingual sample (n = 6 912) from the International Wellbeing Study. 

Method

First, we used a regional subsample of English-speaking participants who completed the original version of the scale as a baseline to optimize the measurement model. Second, we verified measurement invariance of the optimized model to the rest of the English-speaking sample of other regional subsamples, and then third, to the six translations. As to provide a more contextualized interpretation of results, both Cheung and Rensvold's (2002), as well as Rutkowski and Svetina's (2014) suggested cut-off indices were considered when assessing measurement invariance.

Results

Our results suggest that a shortened 12-item version of the scale including theoretically motivated residual correlations provides a better fit to the data in all regions and languages considered. Furthermore, results indicated that for the 12-item English version, strict invariance was achieved across regions of the world, suggesting that the scale is equivalent for all English-speaking individuals regardless of their country of residence. As for the translations, metric invariance was achieved indicating that the scale structure functions in much of the same way across languages and cultures, but base levels of life satisfaction and some items’ specific functioning may be different. Specifically, the Finnish translation of the scale appears to require additional psychometric work.

Conclusion

Overall, the newly shortened 12-item version of the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale tested here is an improved scale for adequate comparison across languages and cultures.