Residential satisfaction questionnaires: A systematic review

Abstract

Residential satisfaction is a topic that has been extensively studied in recent decades because it can offer important insights into the quality of the residential environment. However, many inconsistencies and unanswered questions on this topic still persist. Because the understanding of any field of inquiry is importantly affected by the quality of the methodology and measurement instruments employed, this article explores the current state of development and investigation of the psychometric properties of one of the most widely employed methods of measuring residential satisfaction: self-assessment questionnaires that measure satisfaction by assessing satisfaction with specific aspects of the residential environment. A review of representative studies shows a general lack of properly developed and validated questionnaires, lack of sufficient reporting on the origin, development, and psychometric characteristics of the questionnaires employed, and often too little thought and effort invested in developing and validating questionnaires. Such observations are especially important for evaluating the quality of studies and their implications for residential satisfaction, and they are the points where research practice could be improved.