Updated April, 2004
Satisfaction
With Life Scale
Interpretation of Results
The results page provided you with a test
score that indicates how much your score deviates from a group mean.
If your score is -2.00,
your score is extremely below average.
4% of the group scored lower than you and 96% scored higher than you.
If your score is
-1.50, your score is a good deal below average.
10% of the group scored lower than you and 90% scored higher than you.
If your score is
-1.00, your score is moderately below average.
20% of the group scored lower than you and 80% scored higher than you.
If your score is
-0.50, your score is slightly below average.
32% of the group scored lower than you and 68% scored higher than you.
If your score is 0,
your score is average.
50% of the group scored lower than you and 50% scored higher than you.
If your score is
0.50, your score is slightly above average.
68% of the group scored lower than you and 32% scored higher than you.
If your score is
1.00, your score is a good deal above average.
90% of the group scored lower than you and 10% scored higher than you.
If your score is
1.50, your score is extremely above average.
96% of the group scored lower than you and 4% scored higher than you.
If your score is
2.00, your score is at the top of the scale.
100% of the group scored lower than you and 0% scored higher than you.
Your score depends on the comparison
group. The comparison group on the results page consisted of 752 predominantly
female Canadian psychology students. Since January, nearly 200 Canadian
respondents have taken this web survey. The mean level of life satisfaction was
very similar (M = 4.69) to the mean satisfaction of the student sample used for
your feedback (M = 4.77). As usual, the survey data showed no sex differences
or age differences in responses. Thus, your score is likely to be an accurate
reflection of your life satisfaction compared to other Canadians.
However, life-satisfaction scores differ
across nations. Canadians are among the happiest people in the world. If you
are from a less happy nation, a lower comparison standard is more appropriate.
Below are some international comparison
standards. You can compare yourself to these standards, by taking the score
from the first line of your results (e.g., 5.67), subtracting the mean of the
new comparison group (e.g., China Mean = 3.71) and dividing the difference by
the standard deviation of the new comparison group (China Std. Dev. = 1.30).
The new score is 1.51, indicating a much higher level of life-satisfaction
compared to Chinese people than to Canadians.
|
NATION |
Mean |
Std.
Dev. |
|
Argentina |
4.53 |
0.95 |
|
Australia |
4.76 |
1.36 |
|
Austria |
5.04 |
1.19 |
|
Bahrain |
4.40 |
1.20 |
|
Brazil |
4.40 |
1.09 |
|
China |
3.71 |
1.30 |
|
Colombia |
5.33 |
1.03 |
|
Denmark |
5.14 |
1.11 |
|
Egypt |
4.47 |
1.34 |
|
Estonia |
4.10 |
1.10 |
|
Finland |
4.80 |
1.28 |
|
Germany |
4.89 |
1.26 |
|
Ghana |
4.37 |
1.46 |
|
Greece |
4.39 |
1.27 |
|
Guam |
4.42 |
1.32 |
|
Hong Kong |
3.98 |
1.19 |
|
Hungary |
4.82 |
1.10 |
|
Italy |
4.31 |
1.31 |
|
India |
4.80 |
1.01 |
|
Indonesia |
4.73 |
1.14 |
|
Japan |
4.30 |
1.12 |
|
Korea (South) |
3.92 |
1.23 |
|
Lithuania |
3.78 |
1.21 |
|
Nepal |
4.66 |
1.14 |
|
Norway |
5.08 |
1.19 |
|
Pakistan |
4.70 |
1.21 |
|
Peru |
4.73 |
0.99 |
|
Puerto Rico |
5.12 |
1.08 |
|
Singapore |
4.77 |
1.15 |
|
South Africa |
4.38 |
1.45 |
|
Spain |
4.53 |
1.08 |
|
Taiwan |
4.05 |
1.30 |
|
Tanzania |
4.23 |
1.25 |
|
Thailand |
3.13 |
1.05 |
|
Turkey |
3.75 |
1.14 |
|
USA |
4.90 |
1.38 |
|
Zimbabwe |
3.97 |
1.43 |
Unpublished
data from Ed Diener and colleagues
1996 International Student Survey (see
Suh, Diener, Oishi, & Triandis, 1998).