Validation of the temporal satisfaction with life scale in a sample of Chinese university students

Abstract

The study aims at validating the Temporal Satisfaction With Life Scale (TSWLS; Pavot et al., 1998, 'The Temporal Satisfaction With Life Scale', Journal of Personality Assessment 70, pp. 340-354) in a non-western context. Data from 646 Chinese university students (330 females and 316 males) supported the three-factor structure of the TSWLS. However, the first and fifth items in each subscale (past, present, and future) showed a series of problems. With these items excluded, the 9-item model provided a better fit to the data than the 15-item model while the factor structure remained almost unchanged. The author recommends that the 9-item TSWLS be used to measure temporal life satisfaction. © Springer 2006.