The discriminate validity of the lifestyle satisfaction scale (LSS) for the assessment of Australian adults with intellectual disabilities

The Lifestyle Satisfaction Scale (LSS) of Heal, Novak, and Chadsey-Rusch (1981) has been designed to assess the 'life' satisfaction of persons with intellectual disabilities. In American samples, satisfaction scores from LSS are significantly influenced by types of accommodation (representing variations in level of restriction in lifestyle) of respondents (Heal and Chadsey-Rusch, 1985). This study attempted to replicate this result in an Australian context (ie, with respect to the LSS responses of people with intellectual disability living in three different locations). These locations were taken to represent variations in lifestyle likely to significantly influence satisfaction with residence, friends, general lifestyle and services. Some predicted significant main effects of location on LSS were obtained. These results were taken as support for the discriminate validity of LSS. How location influenced satisfaction and how satisfaction was moderated by factors other than location are discussed.