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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
O-DT-u-sqt-v-7-a
Focus:
Overall: Delighted vs Terrible life (O-DT)
Time frame:
time unspecified (u)
Mode:
1 question, asked twice (sqt)
Scale Type:
verbal scale (v)
Scale Range:
7

Description

Self report on single question, asked twice in interview:

How do you feel about your life as a whole......?
7  delighted
6  pleased
5  mostly satisfied
4  mixed
3  mostly dissatisfied
2  unhappy
1  terrible

Summation: arithmetic mean

Name: Andrews & Withey's "Delighted-Terrible Scale" (original version)
Also known as Lehman's 'Global life satisfaction'

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation Andrews & Withey (1976): study US 1973 /1 18+ aged, general public, USA, 1973/7 N = 222
Packer et al. (1997): study CA 1992 18-40 aged, schizophrenics, Canada,199? N = 40
Lehman et al. (1992): study US 1983 Mental Patients, United States, 1986 N = 99
Zautra (1975): study US Utah 1970 18+ aged, men and women, Salt Lake County, USA, 1973-1974 N = 454
Crandall (1976): study US Ohio 1973 Adults, Toledo, USA, 1973 N = 771
London et al. (1977): study US 1972 18+ aged, general public, USA, 1972 N = 1297
Mean
= 2.590
SD
= 1.090
 Crandall & Putman (1980): study US Idaho 1975 /1 Undergraduate students, university, Idaho, USA,197? N = 27
Crandall & Putman (1980): study US Idaho 1975 Non-teaching employees, university, Idaho, USA, 197? N = 82
Andrews & Withey (1976): study US 1972 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1972 N = 1433
Mean
= 5.580
SD
= 1.012
 Headey & Wearing (1981): study AU 1978 16+ aged, general public, Australia, 1978 N = 679
Mean
= 5.250
 Campbell (1976): study US 1971 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1971 N = 2164
Mean
= 5.550
SD
= 1.260
 Crandall & Kytonen (1980): study US 1975 Students, USA, 197? N = 150
Rosenfield (1992): study US 1988 20-70 aged, chronic mental patients, USA, 1989 N = 157
Rosenfield (1997): study US 1988 20-70 Chronic mental patients, USA, 1989, N = 157
Evans & Huxley (2005): study GB 1999 18-65 aged, differing in mental health, followed 2 years, UK, 1999-2001 N = 1912
Mean
= 4.790
SD
= 1.060
 Andrews & Withey (1976): study US 1972 /2 18+ aged, general public, USA, Nov 1972 N = 1072
Mean
= 5.300
 Holloway & Carson (1998): study GB 1997 Severe mental patients, London UK, followed 18 month, 1997-98 N = 70
Mean
= 4.250
SD
= 1.450
 Lehman (1988): study US 1981 Chronic mental patients, USA,1981 N = 469
Holloway & Carson (1999): study GB 1990 Mental patients, UK, followed 3 years,1990-1993 N = 70
Mean
= 3.730
SD
= 1.380
 Headey & Wearing (1986): study AU AU Victoria 1981 18-65 aged, general public, Victoria, Australia, followed 1981-985 N = 942
Rahtz et al. (1988): study US 1983 60+ aged, mid-Atlantic region, USA, 198? N = 752
Block & Zautra (1981): study US Arizona 1979 General public, 3 cities, Arizona, USA, 1979 N = 537
Mean
= 2.340
SD
= 0.870
 Andrews (1991): study US 1980 Adults, general public, USA, 1972-1988 N = 2985
Zautra et al. (1977): study US Salt Lake County, Utah 1975 18+ aged, general public, Salt Lake County, USA, 1973-74 N = 454
Andrews & Withey (1976): study US 1973 /2 18+ aged, general public, USA, 1972-1973 N = 2727
Mean
= 5.360
SD
= 0.990
 Andrews & Withey (1976): study US 1972 /1 18+ aged, general public, USA, May 1972 N = 1297
Mean
= 5.500
SD
= 0.910
 Andrews & Withey (1976): study US 1973 18+ aged, general public, USA, 1973/3 N = 1433
Mean
= 5.400
 Meredith (1984): study US 1982 16+ aged, recent refugees from Laos, USA, 1982 N = 145
Mean
= 4.930
SD
= 1.650
 Kinney & Coyle (1992): study US 1992 18-55 aged, physically disabled, USA,1992 N = 790
Mean
= 5.060