Life satisfaction questionnaire
The life satisfaction questionnaire (FLZ) is a psychological test that records the degree of life satisfaction in different areas of life and allows it to be compared with the average population. The FLZ can be used for psychological diagnostics and other tasks to describe global and area-specific life satisfaction in ten areas. Life satisfaction here means the individual assessment of past and present living conditions and future prospects.
definition
The concept of life satisfaction has a general basis in philosophical determinations of the essence of man in Philosophical Anthropology . In empirical psychological and sociological studies, it is a matter of life satisfaction (Engl. Life satisfaction), subjective well-being (well-being) and quality of life can be seen (quality of life) in their individual differences. Life satisfaction cannot be precisely defined because there are various methodological difficulties: the differences in meaning (e.g. well-being, general quality of life, happiness ), the reference system (own yardstick or comparison with other people), scope (global life satisfaction or individual areas of life), temporal perspective (looking back or related to the present). Probably the subjective assessments in emotional and accounting terms influence u. a. Health , mental stability and social relationships. Even under the most difficult external living conditions or with severe chronic illnesses, some people can express a degree of (relative) satisfaction that may seem almost incomprehensible. The individual dynamics of accounting, realistic adjustment, resignation and anticipated possibilities for change, as described in more detail for job satisfaction , largely elude a questionnaire study.
Development and application
The FLZ was created in a research project on the psychological and medical rehabilitation of cardiovascular patients. The questionnaire was then expanded from 8 to 10 scales and checked and standardized for test quality criteria in a representative survey of 2870 people. These comparative values are broken down by gender and four age groups. The test answers are evaluated either using templates or with the aid of a computer (after entering data on the PC).
The FLZ has 70 questions (items) from 10 areas of life and an overall value
- health
- work and job
- Financial position
- leisure
- Marriage and partnership
- Relationship with one's own children
- Own person
- sexuality
- Friends, acquaintances, relatives
- flat
- Total life satisfaction value
Since a relatively large number of people leave the scales of work and occupation, marriage and partnership and relationship with their own children unanswered due to their living situation, the total value is only calculated using the remaining seven scales. The items are to be answered on a scale from (1) very satisfied to (7) very dissatisfied.
The FLZ scale values represent self-assessments by people who give a subjective assessment of various experiences and assessments. The ten areas were systematically determined and then through factor analyzes of the data from a population-representative survey, i. H. present in the self-assessments of the average population. justified. Areas of social attitudes and satisfaction with politics, society, institutions, parties, churches, etc. were excluded.
In the manual there are numerous relationships between FLZ scales and sociodemographic characteristics, etc. a. on age, income group, status as unemployed, but also on party preference and denomination. Furthermore, there are correlations with physical complaints, the number of hospital and spa stays, visits to the doctor, taking medication, and retirement. An active organization of leisure time (hobby, events, clubs, physical activities) correlates with life satisfaction. Lack of control over eating habits, alcohol, tobacco and drug use are all linked to greater dissatisfaction. Satisfaction changes differently in different areas of life with increasing age. Compared to younger people, older people are more satisfied with their finances and less satisfied with their health. At the time of the survey, there were clear differences in satisfaction between East and West Germans.
literature
- Jochen Fahrenberg, Michael Myrtek, Jörg Schumacher, Elmar Brähler : Questionnaire on life satisfaction (FLZ). Manual instruction. Hogrefe, Göttingen 2000.
- Jochen Fahrenberg, Rainer Hampel, Herbert Selg: Freiburg personality inventory FPI. Revised version FPI-R and partially changed version FPI-A1. Manual instruction. Hogrefe, Göttingen 2010. (8th edition)
- Jörg Schumacher, Antje Klaiberg, Elmar Brähler: Diagnostic procedures for quality of life and wellbeing. Hogrefe, Göttingen 2003. ISBN 978-3-80171-696-7
- Jörg Schumacher, Wilfried Laubach, Elmar Brähler: How satisfied are we with our life? Sociodemographic and psychological predictors of general and area-specific life satisfaction. In: Journal of Medical Psychology , Volume 4, 1995, pp. 17-26.