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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
A-ARE-md-sqr-v-10-a
Focus:
Affect: Average Repeated Overall Estimate (A-ARE)
Time frame:
last day (md)
Mode:
1 question, repeated (sqr)
Scale Type:
verbal scale (v)
Scale Range:
10

Description

Self report on single question, repeated every evening before retiring during 3 weeks (experience sampling).

"On the average, how happy or unhappy did you feel today....?"
1   Extremely unhappy. Utterly depressed. Completely down.
2   Very unhappy. Depressed. Spirits very low.
3   Pretty unhappy. Somewhat 'blue'. Spirits down.
4   Mildly unhappy. Just a little low.
5   Barely unhappy. Just this side of neutral.
6   Barely happy. Just this side of neutral.
7   Mildly happy. Feeling fairly good and somewhat cheerful.
8   Pretty happy. Spirits high. Feeling good.
9   Very happy. Feeling really good. Elated.
10  Extremely happy. Feeling ecstatic, joyous, fantastic.

Name: Wessman & Ricks' `Elation - Depression Scale" (adapted version)

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Wessman & Ricks (1966): study US 1957 /1 Male college students, followed 3 years, Harvard University, USA, 1957-60 N = 17
Mean
= 5.960
SD
= 0.940
Gall et al. (1997): study US 1971 University students, USA, 1971 N = 86
Mean
= 6.800
SD
= 1.150
Balkin (1968): study US 1964 40-50 aged, female therapy clients, followed 4 weeks, USA 196? N = 100