Introduction to the Satisfaction With Life Scale

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a measure of life satisfaction developed by Ed Diener and colleagues (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985). Life satisfaction is one factor in the more general construct of subjective well being. Theory and research from fields outside of rehabilitation have suggested that subjective well being has at least three components, positive affective appraisal, negative affective appraisal, and life satisfaction. Life satisfaction is distinguished from affective appraisal in that it is more cognitively than emotionally driven. Life satisfaction can be assessed specific to a particular domain of life (e.g., work, family) or globally. The SWLS is a global measure of life satisfaction.

The SWLS consists of 5-items that are completed by the individual whose life satisfaction is being measured. Administration is brief--rarely more than a few minutes--and can be completed by interview (including phone) or paper and pencil response. The instrument should not be completed by proxy, though a proxy can ask questions to the individual and convey answers to an interviewer (for instance, if the respondent can not be interviewed directly by phone).

Information regarding the SWLS was contributed by the Ohio Regional TBI Model System at Ohio State University. Please contact John D. Corrigan, Ph.D., at for more information.

If you find the information in the COMBI useful, please mention it when citing sources of information. The information on the SWLS may be cited as:

Corrigan, J. (2000). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. The Center for Outcome Measurement in Brain Injury. http://www.tbims.org/combi/swls ( accessed ).*

*Note: This citation is for the COMBI web material. Dr. Corrigan is not the scale author for the SWLS.