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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
A-BC-cm-mq-v-4-a
Focus:
Affect: Balance (Cohen's index) (A-BC)
Time frame:
last month, last few weeks (cm)
Mode:
multiple questions (mq)
Scale Type:
verbal scale (v)
Scale Range:
4

Description

Self report on 13 questions:

"During the past month, did you ever feel.....?"

A. Excited or pleased about something you were doing
B. That important things in life are going your way
C. Happy, satisfied, or pleased with your personal life.
D. Exited or pleased with something you did or a problem you
     solved
E. That you have a lot of friends you can count on
F. Nervous or tense
G. So restless and irritated you couldn't sit still
H. Down-hearted or depressed
I. Felt concerned or worried about your health
J. Guilty about something you shouldn't have done
K. Unable to get a good night's sleep
L. That your mind was not working the way it should
M. Miserable or discouraged about your future

Answer options:
1 none of the time
2
3
4 most of the time

Summation:
Positive Affect Scale (PAS):A+B+C+D+E
Negative Affect Scale (NAS):F+G+H+I+J+K+L+M
Affect Balance Scale (ABS): PAS minus NAS
Possible range: -32 to + 20

Name: Bradburn's Affect Balance Scale (variation by Cohen)

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Cohen et al. (1982): study US 1979 18-55 aged, general public, New York City, 1979 N = 602
Mean
= 36.400
SD
= 5.200