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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
O-HV-*-sq-vt-3-a
Focus:
Overall: Happiness Various items (O-HV)
Time frame:
various time frames (*)
Mode:
1 question (sq)
Scale Type:
verbal scales transformed to same range (vt)
Scale Range:
3

Description

Self report on single questions

Six equivalent questions on overall happiness. (Slightly different items used in the various nations)
Scores transformed to common range 1 - 3, by recoding;

A "Generally speaking, how happy would you say you are;
   would you say you are...?
   3  very happy
   2  fairly happy
   1  not too happy

B Taken all things together, how would you say things are   these days; would you say you are ...?
   3  very happy
   2  fairly happy
   1  not too happy

C Taken all together, would you say you are.....?
   3  very happy
   2  quite happy
   1  not very happy
   1  not at all happy

D Taken all together how would you say things are these days; would you say you are ...?
   3  very happy
   2  pretty happy
   1  not too happy

E In general, how happy would you say you are...?
   3  very happy
   2  fairly happy
   1  not very happy

F How happy do you feel as you live now? Please choose one item from this card that is closest to your feeling
   3  very happy
   3  fairly happy
   2  neither happy nor unhappy
   1  fairly unhappy
   1  very unhappy

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Veenhoven (1984): study ZZ EU 9 1975 15+ aged, general public, EU 9 member states, Western Europe, 1975 N = 12996
Veenhoven (1990b): study ZZ 1965 Adults, general public, 28 countries, 1965-1985 N = 30000