Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale Among Arab Americans
Abstract
The body of literature on the Arab American population is growing both in breadth and depth. A biopsychosocial perspective has been applied in a review of the research on this population revealing gaps in the area of well-being among Arab Americans. Particularly, few studies have investigated well-being as defined by positive constructs, positive psychology, subjective well-being, or psychological wellbeing. More specifically, measures of these conceptualizations of well-being beyond the deficit model have not been validated among Arab Americans. This study aims to investigate the psychometric properties of one of the most commonly used subjective well-being instruments, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). Results of the study found strong evidence for the validity of the SWLS among Arab Americans. Implications of these findings, limitations, and future directions are discussed.