print

Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
A-BB-cm-mq-v-2-b
Focus:
Affect: Balance (Bradburn's index) (A-BB)
Time frame:
last month, last few weeks (cm)
Mode:
multiple questions (mq)
Scale Type:
verbal scale (v)
Scale Range:
2

Description

Self report on 10 questions, repeated four times at 3 months intervals:

"During the past few weeks, did you ever feel ....?"  (yes/no)

A   Particularly excited or interested in something?
B   So restless that you couldn't sit long in a chair?
C   Proud because someone complimented you on something you had done?
D   Very lonely or remote from other people?
E   Pleased about having accomplished something?
F   Bored?
G   On top of the world?
H   Depressed or very unhappy?
I    That things were going your way?
J    Upset because someone criticized you?

Answer options and scoring:
yes = 1
no  =  0
Summation:
-Positive Affect Score (PAS): A+C+E+G+I
-Negative Affect Score (NAS): B+D+F+H+J
-Affect Balance Score (ABS): PAS minus NAS
Possible range: -5 to +5

Name: Bradburn's 'Affect Balance Scale' (standard version)

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Costa & McCrae (1980): study US 1976 35-85 aged white males (largely veterans), USA, 1976 N = 1100