Measurement Inconsistency

Multi-item life satisfaction indexes have found lower life satisfaction among people racialised as Black compared with people racialised as white. Single-item Cantril Ladder measures have found higher life satisfaction among people racialised as Black compared with people racialised as white. Differences in life satisfaction measurement can produce opposing conclusions about Black-white subjective well-being differences. Question wording and measurement format can affect what respondents consider, so subjective well-being instruments may not be interchangeable. Multi-item and single-item subjective well-being measures may capture different constructs.