SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING - THE CONVERGENCE AND STABILITY OF SELF-REPORT AND NON-SELF-REPORT MEASURES

The validity of self-report measures of subjective well-being (SWB) wa s examined and compared with non-self-report measures using a sample o f 136 college students studied over the course of a semester. A princi pal axis factor analysis of self- and non-self-report SWB measures rev ealed a single unitary construct underlying the measures. Conventional single-item and multi-item self-report measures correlated highly wit h alternative measures, with theoretical correlates of SWB, and with a principal axis factor underlying five non-self-report measures of wel l-being. Comparisons of family versus friend informant reports demonst rated the considerable cross-situational consistency and temporal stab ility of SWB. Evidence of the discriminant validity of the measures wa s provided by low correlations of the various SWB measures with constr ucts theoretically unrelated to well-being. It was concluded that conv entional self-report instruments validly measure the SWB construct, an d that alternative, non-self-report measures are useful for providing a comprehensive theoretical account of happiness and life satisfaction .