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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
A-BB-cq-mq-v-3-a
Focus:
Affect: Balance (Bradburn's index) (A-BB)
Time frame:
last quarter (cq)
Mode:
multiple questions (mq)
Scale Type:
verbal scale (v)
Scale Range:
3

Description

Self report on 10 questions:

"During the past few months, have you ever felt.....         
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   Depressed or very unhappy?
H  That things were going your way?
I    Upset because someone criticized you?

Answer options and scoring:
3  often
2  sometimes
1  never

Summation:
-Positive Affect Score (PAS): A+C+E+I
-Negative Affect Score (NAS): B+D+F+H+J
-Affect Balance Score (ABS): PAS minus NAS
Possible range: -15 to +12
Name: Bradburn's 'Affect Balance Scale' (standard version)

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Beiser (1974): study CA 1963 18+ aged, general public, Stirling County, Canada, 1963-1968 N = 112
Goldberg et al. (1980): study US Maryland 1971 18+ aged, general public, county, Maryland, USA 1971-1974 N = 640
Stephens (1988): study CA 1978 15+ aged, Canada, 1978-1979 N = 23791
Mean
= 2.800
Stephens (1988): study CA 1981 15+ aged, Canada, 1981 N = 22250
Mean
= 2.800