THE RELEVANCE OF AMERICAN LIFE SATISFACTION INDICES FOR RESEARCH ON BRITISH SUBJECTS BEFORE AND AFTER RETIREMENT

Abstract

A Life Satisfaction Index was administered to 150 manual and professional workers, aged 55–79 and scores were also computed for a shorter derived Life Satisfaction Index. The analysis dealt with the association between index items, the feasibility of shortened indices, the responses of the subjects on the indices and the relationship between the indices, age, and socio-economic status. Results indicated that certain index items were irrelevant, and associations between items were different from those obtained in previous studies. Two components of life satisfaction emerged, namely ‘Acceptance-Contentment’ and ‘Achievement-Fulfilment’. The components or indices used separately proved to be differentially sensitive to age and socio-econornic status before and after retirement.