Analysis of a scale for measuring the life satisfaction of the aged
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"Introduction to the problem: One of the criticisms of the social sciences which has been discussed by social investigators and others at the theoretical level has to do with the relatively vague nature of behavioral concepts compared with the rather precise and quantitative concepts of the physical sciences. One answer to this criticism has been the recognition that the social sciences are still quite young and cannot as yet be expected to have developed precise conceptual definitions. Further, due to the nature of their subject matter, perhaps they can never be expected to attain the conceptual precision of the physical sciences. A polar position to this has been taken which strongly defends the need for consistent operational definitions of concepts--be they quantitatively or qualitatively based. This is not to imply that the definitions be assigned once and for all. Rather it means that standard definitions, which can be expected to improve with continued use and analyses, be applied to concepts and be used as consistently as possible. The latter position is taken in the present study. If a multiplicity of meanings and uses for a single term, or a multiplicity of terms being applied to a single concept is to be avoided, then some consistency in the use of concepts in the social sciences must be attained. The purpose of this paper is to examine one of the operational measures currently used to refer to one of the concepts in social gerontology, in an attempt to determine its reliability and in the hope of suggesting ways of improving it. The phenomenon or concept is the satisfaction of older people with their current and past lives, and has been termed by various researchers, individual or personal adjustment, successful aging, happiness, morale, and life satisfaction. This concept is inherent in a number of theories of successful aging and to this extent, it is important that some satisfactory method be developed for determining or measuring it."--Page 1.
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M.A.