Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale (TSWLS)
(Pavot et al., 1998 )
Variable
The TSWLS measures three temporal dimensions of life satisfaction /C0past, present, and future life satisfaction.
The TSWLS is based on the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985 ).Pavot et al. (1998) rephrased
the five original SWLS items with respect to all three time frames of interest.
Description
The TSWLS consists of 15 items assessing individuals’ global life satisfaction, separated on the basis of three
temporal dimensions (i.e., the past, present, and future satisfaction). Respondents rate their agreement with each
item on a 7-point Likert-type response scale (1 5strongly disagree to 75strongly agree ). All 15 items are positively
keyed. Four scores can be obtained for analyses. First, summing all 15 items leads to a total score ranging
between 15 and 105. Second, summing the five items for each temporal dimension (past satisfaction, present sat-
isfaction, and future satisfaction, respectively) provides three subscale scores ranging from 5 to 35.
Sample
Pavot et al. (1998) presented three samples. Sample 1 consisted of 157 students (mainly aged from 18 to 25
years) who filled in the TSWLS on three occasions with a 4-week interval between administrations 1 and 2, and a
5-week interval between administrations 2 and 3. Total score means were 63.61 ( SD516.03), 69.39 ( SD516.20),
and 69.96 ( SD516.42) for administration 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Means for the three subscales past, present,
and future satisfaction were 20.98 ( SD56.58), 21.79 ( SD55.96), and 26.32 ( SD54.81), respectively. The differ-
ences between means of past vs. future, and present vs. future were statistically significant. There were no signifi-
cant differences between means of past vs. present satisfaction subscales.
Sample 2 consisted of 294 adults ( M559 years; ranging from 25 to 88 years) and yielded a mean for the total
score of 70.80 ( SD514.83). Means for the three subscales were 22.52 ( SD56.81), 24.49 ( SD56.37), and 23.79
(SD55.93) for past, present, and future satisfaction, respectively. The differences between means of past vs. pres-
ent, and past vs. future were statistically significant. There were no significant differences between means of pres-
ent vs. future satisfaction subscales.
Sample 3 consisted of 66 older adults ( M579 years; ranging from 61 to 99 years) who filled in the TSWLS on
two occasions over a 4 /C06 week interval with total score means of 72.89 ( SD519.30), and 74.28 ( SD515.90).
Means for the three subscales were 23.34 ( SD57.24), 25.93 ( SD55.54), and 24.83 ( SD55.94) for past, present,
and future satisfaction, respectively. The differences between means of past vs. present, and present vs. future
were statistically significant. No significant differences were observed between means of past vs. future satisfac-
tion subscales.
Reliability
Internal Consistency
The total 15-item TSLWS exhibited Cronbach alpha coefficients ranging from α5.91 to α5.93 in all three
samples.
Test/C0Retest
In the sample of students (sample 1), test /C0retest reliability coefficients were rtt5.83 (4 weeks), rtt5.88 (5 weeks),
and rtt5.82 (9 weeks), respectively. No test /C0retest correlation coefficients were reported for sample 2 and 3.
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
According to Pavot et al. (1998) , the total TSWLS correlated .89 and .74 with the original 5-item SWLS in sam-
ple 1 and 2, respectively. In sample 1, the total TSWLS correlated substantially with other measures of subjective
well-being, for example, with the Andrews and Withey (1976) Delighted /C0Terrible scale ( r5.75). In sample 1,
self-rated optimism ( Scheier & Carver, 1985 ) correlated positively with past ( r5.48), present ( r5.53), and future
satisfaction ( r5.64). In sample 2, satisfaction was positively correlated with SWLS exhibiting coefficients of106 5. MEASURES OF LIFE SATISFACTION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS