Rethinking Life Satisfaction

Abstract

The behavioral reality referenced in the life satisfaction measurement of old people is examined conceptually and empirically. Three questions are addressed: (1) What is the image of life and satisfaction presented to subjects in the items of the five most commonly used scales and indices? (2) How might the image enter into the process of measurement? and (3) How does the image compare with experiences of life and its satisfactions among elders revealed by studies of daily living? Concluding comments deal with issues of reconceptualization.