Valuation of life: a concept and a scale.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to derive and test the psychometric characteristics of a scale to measure Valuation of Life (VOL).

METHODS: Four samples were used in successive phases of exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity testing, and exploration of response-error effects. Estimates of Years of Desired Life were obtained under a variety of hypothetical quality-of-life (QOL)-compromising conditions of poor health.

RESULTS: Confirmed 13-item (Positive VOL) and 6-item (Negative VOL) factors were obtained. A significant relationship between VOL and most Years of Desired Life estimates remained when demographic, health, quality of life, and mental health measures were controlled. Analysis of Negative VOL revealed that some respondents misunderstand the meaning of an agree response to negatively phrased items.

DISCUSSION: VOL is a cognitive-affective schema whose function as a mediator and moderator between health and end-of-life decisions deserves further research.