Life Satisfaction in the Young and the Old

Abstract

The Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA) was administered to a group of 101 elderly persons ( Mage — 77.6) and a group of college students ( Mage, = 20.1). The mean LSIA score of approximately 12 for both groups indicated no difference in degree of life satisfaction. An analysis of the responses of both groups to each of the 20 items of the LSIA, however, showed significant differences in the sources of satisfaction for each group. The old seemed more satisfied with their past, while the young seemed more apprehensive about the present and more optimistic about the future. The following hypothesis was offered: Life satisfaction, rather than being merely a reflection of a person's current level of goal achievement, is more like a set or orientation to one's environment which is acquired fairly early and remains moderately stable throughout life.