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The Impact of Answer Scale Orientation on the Measurement of Life Satisfaction

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  • Fabienne Wöhner

    (University of Bern)

  • Axel Franzen

    (University of Bern)

Abstract

In national and international surveys, life satisfaction is often measured by a single item. However, there is a lot of debate in survey research about whether rating scales should be ordered in an ascending order (from negative to positive) or a descending order (from positive to negative). We investigate the effect of scale orientation by randomly assigning both versions in an online survey (N = 3,138). The average reported life satisfaction is 0.7 points lower when the descending version of an 11-point scale is used, as compared to the ascending scale (p

Suggested Citation

  • Fabienne Wöhner & Axel Franzen, 2024. "The Impact of Answer Scale Orientation on the Measurement of Life Satisfaction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:25:y:2024:i:6:d:10.1007_s10902-024-00798-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00798-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dana Garbarski & Nora Cate Schaeffer & Jennifer Dykema, 2019. "The Effects of Features of Survey Measurement on Self-Rated Health: Response Option Order and Scale Orientation," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(2), pages 545-560, April.
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    4. Daniel Kahneman & Alan B. Krueger, 2006. "Developments in the Measurement of Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(1), pages 3-24, Winter.
    5. Veljko Jovanović & Milica Lazić, 2020. "Is Longer Always Better? A Comparison of the Validity of Single-item Versus Multiple-item Measures of Life Satisfaction," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(3), pages 675-692, July.
    6. Robert Cummins, 1998. "The Second Approximation to an International Standard for Life Satisfaction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 307-334, March.
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