LIFE SATISFACTION SCALE (LSS) –
PRACTICAL REPORT
Submitted by: Anand Kumar
Course: M.Sc., Psychology – Semester II
AIM
The aim of this practical is to assess the level of life satisfaction in an individual using the
Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS). This assessment seeks to provide insights into the
participant’s subjective well-being, perceived quality of life, and overall psychological
adjustment. Understanding life satisfaction is essential for identifying psychological
strengths, potential areas for intervention, and for designing mental health programs that
enhance quality of life. This assessment also serves to explore how personal,
environmental, and social factors contribute to the individual's sense of satisfaction with
life.
The objective further includes understanding the utility of standardized psychometric
assessments in gauging subjective constructs like happiness and contentment, and to
relate individual results with existing literature and psychological theories of well-being
and life evaluation.
BASIC CONCEPT
Life satisfaction is a key component of subjective well-being (SWB), which refers to how
people experience and evaluate their lives and specific areas within them. Unlike
transient emotional states, life satisfaction represents a stable, long-term perspective
about one's overall life quality. It encompasses multiple domains, such as work,
relationships, health, leisure, and a sense of purpose. Psychologists have long emphasized
the importance of understanding how people perceive their lives and what factors
influence such evaluations.
Neugarten et al. (1968) were among the early contributors who proposed a framework for
understanding life satisfaction in the context of aging. Later, researchers like Chadha et
al. (1993) extended this work to include Indian populations, emphasizing that socio-
cultural context significantly affects how life satisfaction is perceived and reported.
The concept gained momentum as organizations and policy makers began to recognize
the role of subjective well-being in workplace productivity, community engagement, and
mental health outcomes. Lio et al. (1990) proposed that life satisfaction involves a
combination of satisfaction in various life areas such as family relations, hobbies, place
of residence, physical and mental health, and a general sense of fulfillment.
Contemporary research links high life satisfaction with increased resilience, lower levels
of stress, better physical health, and stronger interpersonal relationships. Conversely, low
satisfaction can be a predictor of depression, anxiety, and poor coping mechanisms. Due
to its multi-dimensional and cross-cultural relevance, life satisfaction is now widely used
as a psychological construct in assessments ranging from clinical psychology to
organizational behavior.
DESCRIPTION OF TEST
The Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS) was initially developed by Alam and Srivastava (1971)
and later revised by H. Ojha (2015) to assess an individual's perceived satisfaction with
life. This psychometric tool is designed for use in the Indian context and is applicable for
a wide age group. The scale aims to evaluate an individual’s general contentment across
multiple life domains, which collectively contribute to the overall quality of life.
The LSS consists of 35 positively worded statements reflecting various facets of life such
as personal fulfillment, optimism, self-concept, achievements, relationships, and goal
orientation. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale with the following options:
1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Undecided
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly Agree
Participants are instructed to respond honestly based on their present experiences and
perceptions. The total score ranges from 35 to 175. Higher scores indicate greater life
satisfaction, while lower scores point toward dissatisfaction or a lack of fulfillment.
According to the manual, scores are categorized into levels such as Extremely Low, Low,
Average, High, and Extremely High. This makes interpretation meaningful and
accessible for both clinical and research purposes. Psychometric evaluation of the scale
has shown high test-retest reliability and internal consistency, with a reported reliability
coefficient of 0.91 and a validity coefficient of 0.83.
The scale has been normed on a sample size of 600 participants and is validated for adult
populations in India. It is a preferred tool in counseling settings, developmental
psychology, and organizational behavior studies due to its simplicity and cultural
relevance.
