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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a
Focus:
Contentment: Best-Worst possible life (C-BW)
Time frame:
currently (today, these days, presently) (c)
Mode:
1 question (sq)
Scale Type:
ladder scale (l)
Scale Range:
11

Description

Self report on single question:

Here is a picture of a ladder. Suppose we say that the top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the  bottom represents the worst possible life for you. Where on the ladder do you feel you personally stand at the present time?   
[  10  ]  best possible life
[    9  ]
[    8  ]
[    7  ]
[    6  ]
[    5  ]
[    4  ]
[    3  ]
[    2  ]
[    1  ]
[    0  ]  worst possible life
                          
                                                                                
Preceded by 1)  open questions about what the respondent imagines as the best possible life and the worst possible life. 2) ratings on the ladder of one's life five years ago and  where on the ladder one expects to stand five years from now.

Name: Cantril's self anchoring ladder rating of life (original)

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Ball & Robbins (1984): study US 1983 18+ aged, black men, Florida, USA, 1983 N = 253
Mean
= 6.100
SD
= 2.700
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1979 /3 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1979 N = 0
Mean
= 6.600
Burkholder (2005a): study CN 2004 18+ aged, general public, China, 2004 N = 3597
Mean
= 4.450
Czapinski (1993): study PL 1993 18+ aged, general public, Poland, 1993 N = 2340
Mean
= 4.798
SD
= 1.881
Czapinski (1993): study PL 1992 18+ aged, general public, Poland, 1992 N = 3449
Mean
= 4.810
SD
= 1.777
Czapinski (1993): study PL 1991 Adults, age range not reported, general public, Poland, 1991 N = 4201
Mean
= 5.574
SD
= 1.734
Shin & Rutkowski (2003): study KR 1981 20+ aged, general public, Korea,(South), 1981 N = 1215
Mean
= 4.263
SD
= 1.745
Shin & Rutkowski (2003): study KR 2001 20+ aged, general public, Korea,(South), 2001 N = 1006
Mean
= 4.372
SD
= 1.781
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1981 /2 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1981 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1981 /1 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1981 N = 0
Mean
= 6.300
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1981 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1981 N = 0
Mean
= 6.300
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1980 /3 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1980 N = 0
Mean
= 6.200
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1980 /2 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1980 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1980 /1 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1980 N = 0
Mean
= 6.500
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1980 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1980 N = 0
Mean
= 6.600
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1979 /2 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1979 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Saad (2002): study US 2001 18+ aged, general public, United States, 2001 N = 1000
Mean
= 7.000
SD
= 1.729
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1979 /1 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1979 N = 0
Mean
= 6.300
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1979 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1979 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1978 /2 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1978 N = 0
Mean
= 6.200
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1978 /3 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1978 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1978 /1 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1978 N = 0
Mean
= 6.100
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1978 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1978 N = 0
Mean
= 6.200
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1977 /3 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1977 N = 0
Mean
= 6.200
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1977 /2 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1977 N = 0
Mean
= 6.300
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1977 /1 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1977 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1977 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1977 N = 0
Mean
= 6.100
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1976 /3 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1976 N = 0
Mean
= 6.100
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1976 /2 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1976 N = 0
Mean
= 6.200
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1976 /1 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1976 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Saad (2002): study US 1998 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1998 N = 5001
Mean
= 7.050
SD
= 1.791
Gallup (2008): study US 2002 18+ aged, general public, United States, 2002 N = 1014
Mean
= 6.730
SD
= 1.737
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1975 /3 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1975 N = 0
Mean
= 6.200
Gallup (2008): study US 2006 18+ aged, general public, United States, 2006 N = 1003
Mean
= 6.781
SD
= 1.928
Shifa & Leibbrandt (2018): study ET 2004 18+ aged, rural population of poor communities Ethiopia. Folowed 4 years 2004-2009 N = 1375
Mean
= 4.400
SD
= 1.770
Wun'gaen et al. (2017): study TH 2016 Adults, age range not reported, Thailand, 2016 N = 1114
Mean
= 7.290
Lundberg & Kristenson (2008): study SE 2006 45-69 aged, South-East, Sweden, 2006 N = 795
Mean
= 7.300
Helliwell & Huang (2013): study CA 2011 16+ aged, general public, Canada, 2011 N = 5025
Koo & Yee (2016): study KR 2014 18+ aged, general public, South Korea, 2014-2018 N = 2000
Sacks et al. (2010): study ZZ World samples 2002 18+ aged general public, 44 countries, 2002 N = 32463
Sacks et al. (2010): study ZZ World samples 2005 18+ aged general public, 131 nations 2005-2008 N = 291383
Sacks et al. (2010): study ZZ World samples 2005 /1 18+ aged general public, 126 nations 2005-2009 N = 171900
Gfellner (1989): study CA 1984 80+ aged, hospitalized within 2 years, Canada, 1984 N = 40
Mean
= 7.400
SD
= 2.500
Shmotkin & Hadari (1996): study IL 1991 60+ aged, Israel, 1991 N = 830
Wiberg (1976a): study ZZ 1967 students, 5 western nations, 1967-1970, Germany,Great Britain, New Zealand, Sweden, USA. N = 0
Gallup (2012b): study AF 2009 15+ aged, general public, Parts of the World, 2009-2011 N = 466689
Olgiati et al. (2013): study ZZ Western nations 2006 15+ aged general public, 16 Western countries, 2006-2011 N = 51004
Mean
= 7.310
Cantril (1965): study IN 1962 /1 Adults, age range not reported, general public, India, 1962 N = 2014
Mean
= 3.400
Gallup (2008): study US 1985 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1985 N = 2790
Mean
= 6.422
SD
= 1.942
Eden (1985): study US 1982 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1982 N = 0
Mean
= 6.300
Eden (1985): study US 1974 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1974 N = 0
Mean
= 6.600
Watts & Free (1978): study US 1976 /1 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1976 N = 1071
Mean
= 6.700
Watts & Free (1978): study US 1974 /1 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1974 N = 0
Mean
= 6.600
Gallup (2008): study US 1979 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1979 N = 2799
Mean
= 6.479
SD
= 2.083
Gallup (2008): study US 2003 18+ aged, general public, United States, 2003 N = 1000
Mean
= 6.752
SD
= 1.848
Gallup (2008): study US 2005 18+ aged, general public, United States, 2005 N = 1005
Mean
= 6.670
SD
= 1.865
Gallup (2008): study US 2004 18+ aged, general public, United States, 2004 N = 1004
Mean
= 6.600
SD
= 1.838
Saad (2002): study US 1964 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1964 N = 1000
Mean
= 6.747
SD
= 2.086
Saad (2002): study US 1971 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1971 N = 0
Mean
= 6.531
SD
= 2.120
Saad (2002): study US 1972 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1972 N = 1000
Mean
= 6.430
SD
= 2.174
Saad (2002): study US 1974 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1974 N = 1000
Mean
= 6.400
SD
= 2.354
Saad (2002): study US 1976 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1976 N = 1000
Mean
= 6.680
SD
= 2.195
Saad (2002): study US 1979 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1979 N = 1000
Mean
= 6.500
SD
= 2.096
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1976 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1976 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1975 /2 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1975 N = 0
Mean
= 6.300
Bortner & Hultsch (1970): study US 1959 21+ aged, general public, USA, 1959 N = 1301
Mean
= 6.590
SD
= 2.260
Cantril (1965): study JP 1962 21+ aged, general public, Japan, 1962 N = 972
Mean
= 5.200
SD
= 1.732
Cornelisse-Vermaat (2005): study NL 2001 18+ aged, general public, The Netherlands, 2001 N = 2551
Mean
= 7.360
Barefoot et al. (1998): study US 1978 Elderly, USA, followed from 1978 to 1992 N = 100
Morawetz (1977): study IL 1976 Adults, two villages (one equal in incomes, one unequal), Israel, 1976 N = 109
Mean
= 7.600
SD
= 1.460
Matlin & Gawron (1979): study US 1977 University students white, middle-class, State University of New-York, USA,197? N = 133
Czapinski & Peeters (1989): study ZZ Various nation sets 1985 25+ aged, Belgium and Poland, 198? N = 344
Mean
= 6.450
SD
= 1.600
Spanier & Furstenberg (1982): study US 1977 Separated, followed 2 years, Pennsylvania, USA, 1977-79 N = 210
Lomranz & Lubin (1981): study IL 1976 18-40 aged college students Tell Aviv, Israel, 197? N = 167
Lounsbury et al. (1979): study US Tennessee 1975 Adults, general public, Hartsville/Trousdale County, Tennessee, USA, 1975 N = 288
Mean
= 6.400
SD
= 1.900
Fillenbaum & Willis (1976): study US 1970 50-79 aged, females, trainees and controls, USA, 1970 N = 45
Cantril (1965): study US 1959 21+ aged, general public, USA, 1959 N = 1549
Mean
= 6.558
SD
= 2.241
Bohn (1972): study ZZ Various nation sets 1960 21+ aged, general public, Dominican Republic, Panama and Yugoslavia, ± 1960 N = 5228
SD
= 2.590
Antonovsky et al. (1971): study IL 1968 Females, born between 1914-1923 in Central Europe, Israel 1968 N = 287
Mean
= 5.600
Cantril & Roll (1971): study US 1964 21+ aged, general public, USA, 1964-1971 N = 1588
Mean
= 6.650
Cantril (1965): study IL 1961 20+ aged general public, Israel, 1961-62 N = 1170
Mean
= 5.322
SD
= 2.252
Veenhoven (1989b): study ZZ 1957 18+ aged, general public, 14 nations, 1957-1962 N = 18653
Mean
= 5.000
Cantril (1965): study IN 1962 20+ aged general public, India, 1962 N = 2366
Mean
= 3.741
SD
= 1.637
Cantril (1965): study EG 1960 15+ aged, general public, Egypt, 1960 N = 499
Mean
= 5.454
SD
= 2.226
Cantril (1965): study DO 1962 21+ aged, general public, Dominican Republic, 1962 N = 814
Mean
= 1.618
SD
= 1.778
Cantril (1965): study CU 1960 20+ aged, general public, urban areas, Cuba, 1960 N = 992
Mean
= 6.343
SD
= 2.324
Cantril (1965): study BR 1960 18+ aged, general public, Brazil, 1960-1961 N = 2168
Mean
= 4.558
SD
= 2.565
Cantril (1965): study IL 1962 Adults, living in Kibutz, Israel, 1962 N = 300
Mean
= 7.000
Cantril (1965): study XZ Yugoslavia 1962 21+ aged, general public, Yugoslavia, 1962 N = 1523
Mean
= 4.954
SD
= 2.046
Cantril (1965): study XZ Germany West 1957 Adults, general public, West-Germany, 1957 N = 480
Mean
= 5.300
SD
= 1.962
Cantril (1965): study PL 1962 18+ aged, general public, Poland, 1962 N = 1464
Mean
= 4.425
SD
= 1.890
Cantril (1965): study PH 1959 21+ aged, general public, Philipines, 1959 N = 500
Mean
= 4.898
SD
= 2.143
Cantril (1965): study PA 1962 21+ aged, general public, Panama, 1962 N = 642
Mean
= 4.815
SD
= 2.290
Cantril (1965): study NG 1963 21+ aged, general public, Nigeria, 1962-63 N = 1200
Mean
= 4.788
SD
= 2.260
Cantril (1965): study ZZ 1960 20+ aged general public, 14 countries, ±1960 N = 18653
Mean
= 5.000
Bulatao (1973): study PH Manila 1972 21+ aged, general public, Metro Manila, Philippines, 1972 N = 941
Mean
= 5.170
SD
= 1.985
Easterlin (1974): study ZZ 1957 Adults, general public, 14 nations, 1957-1962 N = 18653
Mean
= 5.000
Veenhoven & Verkuyten (1989): study NL 1986 Secondary school pupils, The Netherlands, 1986 N = 2511
Mean
= 7.322
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1975 /1 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1975 N = 0
Mean
= 6.300
Watts & Free (1978): study US 1974 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1974 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1975 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1975 N = 0
Mean
= 6.300
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1974 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1974 N = 0
Mean
= 6.100
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1972 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1972 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1971 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1971 N = 0
Mean
= 6.600
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1964 21+ aged, general public, United States, 1964 N = 0
Mean
= 6.900
Lipset & Schneider (1983): study US 1959 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1959 N = 0
Mean
= 6.600
Cantril (1965): study SI 1962 16+ aged, general public, Slovenia, 1962 N = 0
Mean
= 5.300
Cantril (1965): study HR 1962 16+ aged, general public, Croatia, 1962 N = 0
Mean
= 4.800
Sarapata (1986): study PL 1984 16+ aged, general public, Poland, 1984 N = 0
Mean
= 5.300
Palmore (1975): study JP 1962 21+ aged, general public, Japan, 1962 N = 2000
Mean
= 5.200
Caplow et al. (1991): study US 1985 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1985 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Watts & Free (1978): study US 1976 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1976 N = 0
Mean
= 6.700
Caplow et al. (1991): study US 1974 16+ aged, general public, United States, 1974 N = 0
Mean
= 6.100
Watts & Free (1978): study US 1972 18+ aged, general public, United States, 1972 N = 0
Mean
= 6.400
Goldberg et al. (1979): study US 1971 18+ aged, died within 1-4 years and matched controls, USA, 1971-76 N = 164
Cantril & Roll (1971): study US 1971 21+ aged, general public, United States, 1971 N = 3004
Mean
= 6.560
Cantril & Roll (1971): study US 1964 /1 21+ aged, general public, United States, 1964 N = 1588
Mean
= 6.850
Brook et al. (1979): study US Dakota County, Minnesota 1972 Heads of households, Dayton , USA, 1972-1979 N = 3441
Monk et al. (1976): study ZZ Scandinavia 1976 50+ aged, Denmark, Norway, 1973 N = 200
Mean
= 7.510
Bortner et al. (1974): study ZZ Various nation sets 1962 21+ aged, married, Dominican Republic, Yugoslavia, Panama, 1962 N = 4113
Mean
= 3.350
Thomas & Chambers (1989): study ZZ East-West pairs 1984 70+ aged, highly educated men, New Delhi, India & London, England, 198? N = 100
Mean
= 7.450
VanHoof & Raaijmakers (2002): study NL 1997 12-21 aged, secondary schools, The Netherlands, 1997? N = 294
Mean
= 7.640
Thomas (1991): study GB 1986 70-94 aged males, London, UK, 198? N = 46
Mean
= 7.200
SD
= 1.850
Pelham (2008): study ZZ 2006 15+ aged, general public, 114 nations, 2006-2007 N = 114000
Fromm et al. (1996): study US 1991 Adult bone marrow transplantation survivors, USA. 1991 N = 172
Mean
= 9.000
SD
= 4.800
Jones (2004): study US 2004 18+ aged, general public, USA, 2004 N = 1004
Mean
= 6.600
SD
= 1.838
Bradshaw et al. (2006): study ZZ OECD member states 2001 Adolescents, 29 nations, 2001 N = 137682
TerBogt et al. (2003): study NL 2001 11-15 aged schoolchildren, the Netherlands, 2001 N = 7556
Mean
= 8.123
SD
= 1.587
Arnold et al. (2006): study NL 2001 COPD patients, before and after 20 week rehabilitation programme, Netherlands, 2001-2002 N = 65
Mean
= 5.300
SD
= 1.400
Nikolova & Graham (2014a): study ZZ Western nations 2009 15+ aged general public, 10 western nations, 2009-2012 N = 84115
Mean
= 6.605
SD
= 1.976