A Network Analysis Study on the Structure and Gender Invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale among Spanish University Students

Abstract

Introduction: The psychometric properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) have been evaluated across numerous languages and population groups, primarily from a factor analysis perspective. In some studies, inconsistencies in structural invariance have been identified. Objective: This study aims to analyze the properties and gender invariance of the SWLS from a network analysis perspective. Method: A total of 857 Spanish university students were obtained through a stratified random cluster sampling method in a cross-sectional survey design study. Descriptive analysis of the items, partial-correlation network, Bayesian network model estimation, and invariance analysis by gender were conducted. Results: The instrument did not exhibit any floor or ceiling effects. Each item can be considered univariately normally distributed, and all items clustered in a single and stable community. The partial-correlation network model and centrality measures were stable in the full sample and invariant across genders. Item 3 emerged as the most central node in the network with the highest predictability. The Bayesian network indicated that items 2 and 4 initiate the process, while item 5 acts as the sink, and items 1 and 3 act as mediators. Conclusions: The SWLS can be used as a unidimensional measure, and the total score and relationships among items are stable and reliable. Any potential differences among genders cannot be associated with the functioning of the instrument. The predictability of every item was high, and the Bayesian network clearly identified different roles among the items.

Evidence of Validity, Invariance, and Reliability of the Body Image Dimension in the Body Investment Scale: A Study in Spanish University Students

“…Life satisfaction was evaluated using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) [37] in Spanish [38], comprising five items rated on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = "totally disagree" to 5 = "totally agree"). This scale has demonstrated adequate psychometric properties among Spanish university students [39], with a reliability coefficient of α = 0.84.…”