Validity of the Satisfaction with Life Scale in Colombia and factorial equivalence with Spanish data

The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) is a widely used, 5-item, 7-point Likert-type scale that measures life satisfaction. The current study aims to explore the validity of the SWLS in Colombia and its factorial equivalence with Spanish samples. The SWLS was administered to a total of 1,587 Colombian participants, including a sample of undergraduates, a sample from the general population, and a clinical sample. The internal consistency across the different samples was good (overall alpha of .89). The one-factor model found in the original scale showed a very good fit in the overall Colombian sample (RMSEA = .052, 90% CI [.034, .073]; CFI = .99; NNFI = .99). SWLS scores are significantly related to measures of valued living, emotional symptoms, negative thoughts, experiential avoidance, and cognitive fusion. The clinical sample's mean score on the SWLS was significantly lower than the scores of the nonclinical samples. Three additional Spanish samples (N = 1057) were obtained to analyze the factorial equivalence of the SWLS in Colombia and Spain. Metric and scalar invariance were observed between countries and between Colombian males and females. In conclusion, the SWLS showed good psychometric properties in Colombia and factorial equivalence with Spanish samples.