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Psychometric integrity of the C hinese H appiness I nventory among retired older people in T aiwan
Author(s) -
Chiang HuiHsun,
Lin Lin,
Lee Tony SzuHsien
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.12568
Subject(s) - happiness , affect (linguistics) , scale (ratio) , psychological well being , psychology , life satisfaction , internal consistency , interpersonal communication , interpersonal relationship , exploratory factor analysis , autonomy , clinical psychology , social psychology , medicine , psychometrics , physics , communication , quantum mechanics , political science , law
Aim Happiness is an important indicator of mental and physical health. It has been emphasized as one kind of well‐being, and its definition varies from culture to culture. The main objective of the present study was to examine the psychometric integrity and dimensions of the C hinese H appiness I nventory ( CHI ) in relation to scores on R yff's P sychological W ell‐ B eing S cale among retired older people in T aiwan. Methods A cross‐sectional study was carried out at social service centers in T aipei, T aiwan. Retired adults gave informed consent from S eptember to N ovember 2010, and completed a package of structured questionnaires measuring happiness and psychological well‐being. Internal consistency, the factor structure of the CHI and criterion validity were assessed. Results Results from an exploratory factor analysis showed a three‐factor solution for the CHI . These factors were named P ositive A ffect, L ife S atisfaction and I nterpersonal R elationships. Internal consistency coefficients were 0.95 ( P ositive A ffect), 0.91 ( L ife S atisfaction), 0.85 ( I nterpersonal R elationships) and 0.97 (total scale). The results of a canonical correlation analysis showed the presence of a strong relationship between CHI and R yff's Psychological Well‐Being Scale ( r = 0.69), and that two canonical variates could be derived from the relationship between them. Conclusions The results show that the CHI is a three‐dimensional scale with high reliability and validity. The construct of happiness emphasizes relationships in relation to others and environment rather than autonomy in this sample. Although the components of happiness might be similar for P ositive A ffect and L ife S atisfaction, their weights for I nterpersonal R elationships should be considered when measuring happiness in different cultures. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 865–872.