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Studies

Veenhoven & Verkuyten (1989): study NL 1986

Publication

Author(s):
Veenhoven, R.; Verkuyten, M.
Title:
The Well-Being of Only Children.
Source:
Adolescence, 1989, Vol. 24, 155 - 166

Investigation

Public
Secondary school pupils, The Netherlands, 1986
Sample
Probability simple random sample
Respondents
N = 2511
Non Response
Assessment
Questionnaire: Paper & Pencil Interview (PAPI)
Questionnaire completed in class

Happiness Measure(s) and Distributional Findings

Full text:
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)
Classification:
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a
Author's label:
life satisfaction
Page in publication:
161
Observed distribution
Summary Statistics
On original range 0 - 10 On range 0-10
Mean:
7.32 7.32
SD:
- -
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:
mood level
Error estimates:
Cronbach alpha = .71
Observed distribution
Summary Statistics
On original range -5 - 5 On range 0-10
Mean:
1.69 6.69
SD:
- -

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding only children