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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
O-Sum-u-mq-v-7-a
Focus:
Overall: Summed overall appraisals (O-Sum)
Time frame:
time unspecified (u)
Mode:
multiple questions (mq)
Scale Type:
verbal scale (v)
Scale Range:
7

Description

Self report on four questions:

Using the 1-7 scale below, indicate your agreement with each of the items by placing the appropriate number on the line preceding that item. Please be open and honest in your responding.
A  In most ways my life is close to ideal
B  The conditions of my life are excellent
C  I am satisfied with my life
D  So far, I have gotten the important things I want in life

Answers rated:
7  strongly agree
6  agree
5  slightly agree
4  neither agree nor disagree
3  slightly disagree
2  disagree
1  strongly disagree

Computation: A+B+C+D

Name: Shortened Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS-4)
(In the original scale item 5 reads: 'If I could live my life over, I would change nothing'. This item is left out in this selection because a positive answer to this question does not necessarily mean that the respondent doesn't like the life he/she actually lives.)

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Vitterso et al. (2002): study ZZ World samples 1995 College students, 41 countries, 1995-96 N = 6949
Mean
= 18.100
SD
= 2.040
Diener (2002): study PT 2001 Students, Portugal, 2001 N = 139
Mean
= 4.790
SD
= 1.150
Diener (2002): study DK 2001 Students, Denmark, 2001 N = 90
Mean
= 5.100
SD
= 1.110
Diener (2002): study EE 2001 Students, Estonia, 2001 N = 116
Mean
= 4.220
SD
= 1.050
Diener (2002): study FI 2001 Students, Finland, 2001 N = 91
Mean
= 4.780
SD
= 1.240
Diener (2002): study DE 2001 Students, Germany, 2001 N = 105
Mean
= 4.760
SD
= 1.250
Diener (2002): study GR 2001 Students, Greece, 2001 N = 128
Mean
= 4.280
SD
= 1.230
Diener (2002): study HU 2001 Students, Hungary, 2001 N = 74
Mean
= 4.660
SD
= 1.120
Diener (2002): study IT 2001 Students, Italy, 2001 N = 284
Mean
= 4.340
SD
= 1.230
Diener (2002): study LT 2001 Students, Lithuania, 2001 N = 99
Mean
= 3.800
SD
= 1.160
Diener (2002): study NL 2001 Students, Netherlands, 2001 N = 37
Mean
= 5.460
SD
= 0.890
Diener (2002): study NO 2001 Students, Norway, 2001 N = 98
Mean
= 5.120
SD
= 1.180
Diener (2002): study SI 2001 Students, Slovenia, 2001 N = 50
Mean
= 5.060
SD
= 1.180
Diener (2001a): study AU 1995 Students, Australia, 1995 N = 289
Mean
= 4.730
SD
= 0.340
Diener (2002): study ES 2001 Students, Spain, 2001 N = 321
Mean
= 4.530
SD
= 1.090
Diener (2002): study AR 2001 Students, Argentina, 2001 N = 89
Mean
= 4.560
SD
= 0.920
Diener (2002): study BR 2001 Students, Brazil, 2001 N = 111
Mean
= 4.450
SD
= 1.040
Diener (2002): study CO 2001 Students, Colombia, 2001 N = 99
Mean
= 5.360
SD
= 1.050
Diener (2002): study GT 2001 Students, Guatemala, 2001 N = 180
Mean
= 4.340
SD
= 1.270
Diener (2002): study PE 2001 Students, Peru, 2001 N = 128
Mean
= 4.770
SD
= 0.980
Diener (2002): study PR 2001 Students, Puerto Rico, 2001 N = 86
Mean
= 5.130
SD
= 1.080
Parks (2009): study US Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2004 Participants in a happiness training and controls, followed 1 year, Philadelphia, USA, 2004 N = 37
Parks (2009): study US Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2006 Adults with mild-moderate depressive symptoms, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 2006-2007 N = 360
Mean
= 21.100
Parks (2009): study US Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2007 Adults with mild/moderate depressive symptoms, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 2007-08 N = 267
Mean
= 19.400
Diener (2002): study AT 2001 Students, Austria, 2001 N = 159
Mean
= 4.960
SD
= 1.180
Diener (2001a): study TR 1995 Students, Turkey, 1995 N = 100
Mean
= 3.930
SD
= 1.000
Soons (2006): study NL 1987 Young adults, followed from age 18 to 26, The Netherlands, 1987-1999 N = 1775
Diener (2001a): study US 1995 Students, United States, 1995 N = 442
Mean
= 4.880
SD
= 1.330
Tunney (2006): study GB 2001 Lottery winners and matched controls, Great Britain, 200? N = 34
Mean
= 5.950
SD
= 0.990
Smucker Barnwell et al. (2006): study ZZ Anglo-America 2001 18+ aged, cannabis users and non-users, USA and Canada, 200? N = 487
Mean
= 5.230
SD
= 1.230
Schroevers et al. (2000): study NL 1990 Cancer patients and controls, followed 15 months, the Netherlands, 1990 N = 475
Schroevers et al. (2006): study NL 1998 Cancer patients and controls, the Netherlands, 8 years after diagnosis, 1998 -? N = 206
Diener (2001a): study EG 1995 Students, Egypt, 1995 N = 120
Mean
= 4.460
SD
= 1.350
Diener (2001a): study GH 1995 Students, Ghana, 1995 N = 118
Mean
= 4.140
SD
= 1.420
Diener (2001a): study NG 1995 Students, Nigeria, 1995 N = 243
Mean
= 4.540
SD
= 1.140
Diener (2001a): study ZA 1995 Students, South Africa, 1995 N = 370
Mean
= 4.360
SD
= 1.380
Diener (2001a): study TZ 1995 Students, Tanzania, 1995 N = 134
Mean
= 4.230
SD
= 1.130
Diener (2001a): study ZW 1995 Students, Zimbabwe, 1995 N = 109
Mean
= 3.830
SD
= 1.350
Diener (2001a): study BH 1995 Students, Bahrein, 1995 N = 125
Mean
= 4.300
SD
= 1.160
Diener (2002): study TH 2001 Students, Thailand, 2001 N = 91
Mean
= 4.800
SD
= 1.020
Diener (2002): study CN 2001 Students, China, 2001 N = 546
Mean
= 3.390
SD
= 1.180
Diener (2002): study HK 2001 Students, Hong Kong, 2001 N = 139
Mean
= 3.960
SD
= 1.160
Diener (2002): study IN 2001 Students, India, 2001 N = 92
Mean
= 4.660
SD
= 1.060
Diener (2001a): study ID 1995 Students, Indonesia, 1995 N = 90
Mean
= 4.750
SD
= 1.110
Diener (2001a): study JP 1995 Students, Japan, 1995 N = 200
Mean
= 4.270
SD
= 1.080
Diener (2001a): study KR 1995 Students, Korea,(South), 1995 N = 277
Mean
= 3.920
SD
= 1.180
Diener (2001a): study NP 1995 Students, Nepal, 1995 N = 98
Mean
= 4.430
SD
= 1.030
Diener (2001a): study PK 1995 Students, Pakistan, 1995 N = 153
Mean
= 4.730
SD
= 1.160
Diener (2001a): study SG 1995 Students, Singapore, 1995 N = 131
Mean
= 4.650
SD
= 1.130
Diener (2001a): study TW 1995 Students, Taiwan, 1995 N = 532
Mean
= 4.180
SD
= 1.260
Oh et al. (2014): study US Michigan 2014 Internet users, Michigan, USA, 2014 N = 339
Mean
= 5.220
SD
= 1.020