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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
C-BW-c-sq-l-9-c
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:
9

Description

Self report on single question:

"Here is a picture of a ladder, where the top, rung 9, represents the best possible life for you, and the bottom, rung 1, the worst possible life for you. When you look at this ladder, where do you feel you are standing at the present time?"
9  best possible
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1  worst possible

Name: Cantril's ladder rating of present life (adapted version)

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study XZ Czechoslovakia 1967 15-40 aged, general public, Czechoslovakia (former), 1967 N = 1178
Mean
= 5.277
SD
= 1.372
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study ES 1967 15-40 aged, general public, Spain, 1967 N = 1841
Mean
= 5.283
SD
= 1.631
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study GB 1967 15-40 aged, general public, United Kingdom, 1967 N = 1000
Mean
= 5.788
SD
= 1.499
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study IN Uttar Pradesh 1968 Well educated, India, 1968 N = 267
Mean
= 4.258
SD
= 2.036
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study JP 1969 15-40 aged, general public, Japan, N = 1291
Mean
= 5.398
SD
= 1.476
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study NO 1967 15-40 aged, general public, Norway, 1967 N = 539
Mean
= 6.626
SD
= 1.528
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study NL 1967 15-40 aged, general public, Netherlands, 1967 N = 708
Mean
= 6.426
SD
= 1.594
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study PL 1968 15-40 aged, general public, Poland, 1968 N = 991
Mean
= 4.515
SD
= 1.629
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study FI 1967 15-40 aged, general public, Finland, 1967 N = 485
Mean
= 5.768
SD
= 1.530
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study SI 1967 15-40 aged, general public, Slovenia, 1967 N = 600
Mean
= 5.060
SD
= 1.190
Matthews & Ornauer (1976): study XZ Germany West 1970 15-40 aged, general public, Germany-West (former), 1970 N = 760
Mean
= 5.320
SD
= 1.529