Technical Environmental Assessment Predictors of Residential Satisfaction

Residential satisfaction is important in its own right and as an influence on general well-being. Previous research suggests that objective environmental characteristics amenable to societal manipulation affect residential satisfaction. Environmental predictors were selected on the basis of a theoretical model for relevance to human needs and measured with technical-assessment items scaled independently of subjective judgments. For 88 older women living independently and alone in the community, the objective environmental variables accounted for 28% of the variance in satisfaction with housing and 26% of the variance in neighborhood satisfaction additional to that attributable to personal competence and socioeconomic status.