Study Cantril (1965): study US 1959

Public

21+ aged, general public, USA, 1959

Sample

Respondents

N = 1549

Non Response

-

Assessment

Interview: face-to-face
Structured interview

Happiness measure(s)

Full text:

Self report on single question:

Here is a picture of a ladder. Suppose we say that the top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the  bottom represents the worst possible life for you. Where on the ladder do you feel you personally stand at the present time?   
[  10  ]  best possible life
[    9  ]
[    8  ]
[    7  ]
[    6  ]
[    5  ]
[    4  ]
[    3  ]
[    2  ]
[    1  ]
[    0  ]  worst possible life
                          
                                                                                
Preceded by 1)  open questions about what the respondent imagines as the best possible life and the worst possible life. 2) ratings on the ladder of one's life five years ago and  where on the ladder one expects to stand five years from now.

Name: Cantril's self anchoring ladder rating of life (original)

Classification:

C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a

Author's label:

Happiness

Page in publication:

40, 353

Observed distribution

Frequencies

1: 1.13%,   2: 0.56%,   3: 1.78%,   4: 3.94%,   5: 6.2%,   6: 24.79%,   7: 10.7%,   8: 14.08%,   9: 15.21%,   10: 6.76%,   11: 14.08%   (total 99.23%)

Summary Statistics

On original range 0 - 10 On range 0-10

Mean:

6.56 6.56

SD:

2.24 2.24

Full text:

Self report on single question :

"Some people seem to be quite happy and satisfied with their lives, while others seem quite unhappy and dissatisfied. Now look at this ladder (again). Suppose that a person who is entirely satisfied with his life would be at the top of the ladder and a person who is extremely dissatisfied with his life would be at the bottom of the ladder. Where would you put yourself on the ladder at the present stage of your life in terms of how satisfied or dissatisfied you are with your personal life?"
[ 10 ]  entirely satisfied
[   9 ]
[   8 ]
[   7 ]
[   6 ]
[   5 ]
[   4 ]
[   3 ]
[   2 ]
[   1 ]
[   0 ]  entirely dissatisfied

Name Cantril ladder rating (modified version)

Classification:

O-SLP-c-sq-l-11-a

Author's label:

Satisfaction with life

Observed distribution

Summary Statistics

On original range 0 - 10 On range 0-10

Mean:

7.64 7.64

SD:

2.05 2.05

Full text:

Self report on single question:

How would you rate yourself as to how successful or unsuccessful you have been in terms of achieving your own goals and aims in life? Think of the top of the ladder as being completely successful, the bottom being entirely unsuccessful
[ 10 ]    completely successful
[   9 ]
[   8 ]
[   7 ]
[   6 ]
[   5 ]
[   4 ]
[   3 ]
[   2 ]
[   1 ]     
[   0 ]   entirely unsuccessful

Classification:

C-RG-h-sq-l-11-a

Author's label:

Success in achieving goals

Observed distribution

Summary Statistics

On original range 0 - 10 On range 0-10

Mean:

6.74 6.74

SD:

2.18 2.18