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Studies

Graney (1973): study US 1967

Publication

Author(s):
Graney, M.J.
Title:
The Affect Balance Scale and Old Age.
Source:
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society, 1973, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Investigation

Public
62-89 aged females, followed 4 years USA, 1967-71
Sample
Respondents
N = 44
Non Response
27%; 24% unattainable, 3% incomplete.
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face
Sructured interview at home.

Happiness Measure(s) and Distributional Findings

Full text:
Self report on 10 questions:

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)
Classification:
A-BB-cm-mq-v-2-a
Author's label:
Happiness.
Remarks:
Slightly positively skewed: 30% happy, 45% neutral, 25% unhappy (in 1971)

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding Age