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Studies

McCrae (1986): study US Baltimore County, Maryland 1981

Publication

Author(s):
McCrae, R.R.
Title:
Well-Being Scales do not Measure Social Desirability.
Source:
Journal of Gerontology, 1986, Vol. 41, 390 - 392

Investigation

Public
Adults, general public, Baltimore, USA, 1981
Sample
Non-probability purposive sample
Respondents
N = 62
Non Response
Assessment
Questionnaire: Paper & Pencil Interview (PAPI)
Mailed questionnaires

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:
Affect Balance Scale
Page in publication:
391
Full text:
Self report on single question:

How do you feel about your life as a whole.....?
7  delighted
6  pleased
5  mostly satisfied
4  mixed
3  mostly dissatisfied
2  unhappy
1  terrible

Name: Andrews & Withey's `Delighted-Terrible Scale'  (original version)
Classification:
O-DT-u-sq-v-7-a
Author's label:
Delighted-Terrible Scale
Page in publication:
391

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding Delighted-Terrible