A longitudinal investigation of the factor structure of subjective well-being as measured by the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale

This research examined the longitudinal stability of subjective well-being as measured by the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale. Subjective well-being was hypothesized to have a hierarchical factor structure with a second order factor, subjective well-being, explaining variance in first order dimensions labeled agitation, lonely dissatisfaction, and attitude toward one's own aging. The latent constructs were measured by items composing the PGC scale. Maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis techniques were used to test the fit of the model. Subjective well-being was investigated using a panel of older rural adults (N=195) surviving a ten-year, two-wave investigation. The first wave of data was collected in 1976 with 418 older rural adults ranging in age from 65- 99 years. Survivors at the second wave, in 1986, ranged in age from 75-97 years. Three hypotheses were addressed in this study. Results of the study provided limited support for the first hypothesis, examining the stability of subjective wellbeing over time. The correlation of subjective well-being over time was statistically significant but moderate