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Studies

Graney (1975): study US 1967

Publication

Author(s):
Graney, M.J.
Title:
Happiness and Social Participation in Aging.
Source:
Journal of Gerontology, 1975, Vol. 30, 701 - 706

Investigation

Public
62-89 aged females, followed 4 years, USA, 1967-71
Sample
Respondents
N = 44
Non Response
27%; 24% unattainable, 3% incomplete.
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face
at home.

Happiness Measure(s) and Distributional Findings

Full text:
Self report on 10 questions:

During the past few weeks, did you ever feel ....?  (yes/no)
A   Particularly excited or interested in something?
B   So restless that you couldn't sit long in a chair?
C   Proud because someone complimented you on something  
     you had done?
D   Very lonely or remote from other people?
E   Pleased about having accomplished something?
F   Bored?
G   On top of the world?
H   Depressed or very unhappy?
I    That things were going your way?
J    Upset because someone criticized you?

Answer options and scoring:
yes = 1
no  = 0
Summation:
-Positive Affect Score (PAS): A+C+E+G+I
-Negative Affect Score (NAS): B+D+F+H+J
-Affect Balance Score (ABS): PAS minus NAS
Possible range: -5 to +5

Name: Bradburn's 'Affect Balance Scale' (standard version)
Classification:
A-BB-cm-mq-v-2-a
Author's label:
Happiness
Remarks:
Slightly positively skewed: 30% happy, 45% neutral, 25% unhappy (in 1971).

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding Reading Reading Watching television Tv watching, radio listening Listening to radio Tv watching, radio listening Watching more television Change in specific leisure activities Listening more to the radio Change in specific leisure activities Reading more Change in specific leisure activities Attending religious services Participation in church Attending religious services more often Change in religion Frequency of telephone use Current personal contacts Contacts with friends and relatives Current personal contacts Contacts with neighbors Social contacts in vicinity
Current personal contacts
Association attendance Attendance to meetings Association member- ships Membership of voluntary organizations Changes in social activities over 4 years Change in personal contacts
Change in amount of organizational participation
Change in total social participation