A sample of 1,737 volunteering students, randomly assigned to 12 conditions, rated their current overall (dis)satisfaction with life. Each condition used 1 of 12 response formats, differing in (1) "polarity" ("bipolar" versus "unipolar"), (2) "orientation" ("horizontal" versus "vertical"), and (3) "anchoring" (-5 to +5, "Not Numbered," and 0 "to" 10). Results: For satisfaction ratings, a negative skew was found for all response formats, but, a higher percentage of respondents scored in the upper part (Midpoint to top) of the scale with anchor points (-5 to +5) than on the scales with other anchor points (Not Numbered and 0 to 10). Our results indicate that, satisfaction ratings obtained with either a "unipolar" or a "bipolar" response scale were similar, but, participants experienced some difficulty in rating life dissatisfaction using the "bipolar" dissatisfaction-satisfaction response scale. Moreover, this study has found that life satisfaction and dissatisfaction show a reciprocal relation, especially when assessed with two independent unipolar rating scales. These results support the inclusion of one-way unipolar response scales in the assessment of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the type of response format may influence both satisfaction and dissatisfaction ratings as well as the relationships between these two constructs.