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Happiness Measures

Measures of Happiness: A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a

Characteristics

Code:
A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a
Focus:
Affect: Average Overall Level (A-AOL)
Time frame:
generally (g)
Mode:
multiple questions (mq)
Scale Type:
Different rating scales combined (*)
Scale Range:
0

Description

Self report on 2 questions:

A:  "In general how happy or unhappy do you usually feel? Check the one statement below that best describes your average happiness.
10   extremely happy (feeling ecstatic, joyous, fantastic)
9     very happy (feeling really good, elated)
8      pretty happy (spirits high, feeling good)
7      mildly happy (feeling fairly good and somewhat cheerful)
6      slightly happy (just a bit above neutral)
5      neutral (not particularly happy or unhappy)
4      slightly unhappy (just a bit below neutral)
3      mildly unhappy  (just a little low)
2      pretty unhappy (somewhat "blue", spirits down)
1      very unhappy (depressed, spirits very low)
0      extremely unhappy (utterly depressed, completely down)"  

B:   "Consider your emotions a moment further. On the average.
- What percent of the time do you feel happy?
- What percent of the time do you feel unhappy?
- What percent of the time do you feel neutral (neither happy
  nor unhappy)?
  Make sure the three figures add-up to equal 100%".

Scoring:
- Question A :  0.- 10
- Question B :  % happy
Summation : (A  *  10  +  B)/2

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Seidlitz & Diener (1993): study US 1988 /2 Psychology students, selected for earlier happiness, followed 11 month, USA, 198?-8? N = 54
Seidlitz & Diener (1993): study US 1988 /1 Psychology students, selected for earlier happiness, USA, 198? N = 94
Seidlitz & Diener (1993): study US 1988 Psychology undergraduate, students, University of Illinois, USA, 198? N = 420