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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
A-BB-u-mq-v-3-c
Focus:
Affect: Balance (Bradburn's index) (A-BB)
Time frame:
time unspecified (u)
Mode:
multiple questions (mq)
Scale Type:
verbal scale (v)
Scale Range:
3

Description

Self report on 8 questions:

"Here is a list that describes some of the ways people feel at different times. How often do you feel each of these ways?"

A  Very lonely or remote from other people
B  Depressed or very unhappy
C  Bored
D  So restless you couldn't sit long in a chair
E  Vaguely uneasy about something without knowing why
F  On top of the world
G  Particularly excited or interested in something
H  Pleased about having accomplished something

Answer options:
0  never
1  sometimes
2  often

Summation:
Positive Affect Score (PAS): summed scores on F, G, H
Negative Affect Score (NAS): summed scores on A, B, C, D, E
Affect Balance Score (ABS): PAS minus NAS

Possible range  -10 to +9

Name: Bradburn's `Affect Balance Scale' (modified version)

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Pesznecker & McNell (1975): study US Washington 1970 18+ aged, general public, Renton, Washington, USA, 197? N = 536
Mean
= 3.980