Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale in People With Traumatic Brain, Spinal Cord, or Burn Injury: A National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Model System Study

Dagmar Amtmann, Fraser D. Bocell*, Alyssa Bamer, Allen W. Heinemann, Jeanne M. Hoffman, Shannon B. Juengst, Marta Rosenberg, Jeffery C. Schneider, Shelley Wiechman, Kara McMullen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study evaluated the measurement properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in a sample of 17,897 people with spinal cord injury (48%, n = 8,566), traumatic brain injury (44%, n = 7,941), and burn injury (8%, n = 1,390), 1 year following injury. We examined measurement invariance across the groups, unidimensionality, local independence, reliability from a classical test and item response theory (IRT) framework, and fit to a unidimensional IRT model. The results support unidimensionality and local independence of the SWLS. Reliability was adequate from a classical test and IRT perspective. IRT analysis found that the SWLS could be improved by using only five response categories rather than seven and by removing the fifth item, “If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.” This item functions poorly and reduces instrument reliability. With these revisions, the SWLS is a useful instrument to monitor an important outcome of trauma rehabilitation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)695-705
Number of pages11
JournalAssessment
Volume26
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2019

Keywords

  • Satisfaction With Life Scale
  • burn injury
  • item response theory
  • measurement invariance
  • spinal cord injury
  • traumatic brain injury

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Applied Psychology

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