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Studies

Briscoe (1982): study GB 1977

Publication

Author(s):
Briscoe, M.E.
Title:
Sex Differences in Psychological Well-Being.
Source:
Psychological Medicine, 1982, Monograph Supplement 1, 1 - 48

Investigation

Public
Married couples with high incidence of minor psychiatric problems, London, U.K., 1977
Sample
Respondents
N = 100
Non Response
11%
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face
Highly structured

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:
Positive and negative affect
Observed distribution
Summary Statistics
On original range -5 - 5 On range 0-10
Mean:
2.43 -
SD:
- -
Full text:
Self report on single question:

Taking 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
Classification:
O-HL-c-sq-v-3-ab
Author's label:
Avowed happiness
Observed distribution
Frequencies
1: 8%,   2: 55%,   3: 37%   (total 100%)
Summary Statistics
On original range 1 - 3 On range 0-10
Mean:
2.29 7.34
SD:
0.60 1.63
Full text:
Self rating on single question:

"All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you overall with your life as a whole these days?"

Rated on ladder scale
[ 10 ]  completely satisfied
[      ]
[      ]
[      ]
[      ]
[      ]
[      ]
[      ]  
[      ]
[      ]
[  0  ]  completely dissatisfied
Classification:
O-SLW-c-sq-l-11-a
Author's label:
Satisfaction
Observed distribution
Summary Statistics
On original range 0 - 10 On range 0-10
Mean:
7.60 -
SD:
- -

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding Male sex Sexe: male (vs female)
Mental health of spouse
Psychiatric morbidity_A Current medical consumption
Being in treatment for mental disorder (vs not)
Frequency of use
Number of mental complaints
Psychiatric morbidity_B In ambulatory treatment