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A Cross-cultural Comparison of the Dimensions of Child and Adolescent Life Satisfaction Reports

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Abstract

The factorial invariance of theMultidimensional Students' Life SatisfactionScale (MSLSS: Huebner, 1994) across twodivergent cultures (collectivistic vs.individualistic) was investigated with 835Korean and 822 US students in elementary,middle, and high schools. Psychometricproperties of the Korean version of the MSLSSwere acceptable. A series ofmultisample-confirmatory factor analyses (MCFA)demonstrated the cross-cultural similarity ofthe five-factor model for students' lifesatisfaction. The similar structure of MSLSSacross cultural groups provides the basis formeaningful international comparisons of lifesatisfaction among children and adolescents. Further cross-cultural research includingvarious culturally sensitive life satisfactiondomains may enhance understanding of culturaldifferences in the structure, correlates, andconsequences related to students' lifesatisfaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA

    Nansook Park

  2. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    E. Scott Huebner, James E. Laughlin & Robert F. Valois

  3. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Rich Gilman

Authors
  1. Nansook Park
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  2. E. Scott Huebner
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  3. James E. Laughlin
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  4. Robert F. Valois
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  5. Rich Gilman
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Park, N., Huebner, E.S., Laughlin, J.E. et al. A Cross-cultural Comparison of the Dimensions of Child and Adolescent Life Satisfaction Reports. Social Indicators Research 66, 61–79 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SOCI.0000007494.48207.dd

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