Seidlitz & Diener (1993): study US 1988 /2
Publication
- Author(s):
- Seidlitz, L.; Diener, E.
- Title:
- Memory for Positive versus Negative Life Events: Theories for the Differences between Happy and Unhappy Persons.
- Source:
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1993, Vol. 64, 654 - 664
Investigation
- Public
- Psychology students, selected for earlier happiness, followed 11 month, USA, 198?-8?
- Sample
- Respondents
- N = 54
- Non Response
- Drop-out: T0-T1: 28%, T1-T2: 41%
- Assessment
-
Questionnaire: Paper & Pencil Interview (PAPI)
Questionnaire completed in class
Happiness Measure(s) and Distributional Findings
- Full text:
-
Self report on 2 questions:
A: "In general how happy or unhappy do you usually feel? Check the one statement below that best describes your average happiness.
10 extremely happy (feeling ecstatic, joyous, fantastic)
9 very happy (feeling really good, elated)
8 pretty happy (spirits high, feeling good)
7 mildly happy (feeling fairly good and somewhat cheerful)
6 slightly happy (just a bit above neutral)
5 neutral (not particularly happy or unhappy)
4 slightly unhappy (just a bit below neutral)
3 mildly unhappy (just a little low)
2 pretty unhappy (somewhat "blue", spirits down)
1 very unhappy (depressed, spirits very low)
0 extremely unhappy (utterly depressed, completely down)"
B: "Consider your emotions a moment further. On the average.
- What percent of the time do you feel happy?
- What percent of the time do you feel unhappy?
- What percent of the time do you feel neutral (neither happy
nor unhappy)?
Make sure the three figures add-up to equal 100%".
Scoring:
- Question A : 0.- 10
- Question B : % happy
Summation : (A * 10 + B)/2 - Classification:
- A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a
- Author's label:
- Happiness Measure
- Error estimates:
- Reliability: retest reliability: - after 2,5 month: r=+.83 - after 11 month: r=+.77 Validity:
- Full text:
-
Self report on single question:
." In general how happy or unhappy do you usually feel....?"
Check the one statement that best describes your average happiness.
10 extremely happy (feeling ecstatic, joyous, fantastic)
9 very happy (feeling really good, elated)
8 pretty happy (spirits high, feeling good)
7 mildly happy (feeling fairly good and somewhat cheerful)
6 slightly happy (just a bit above neutral)
5 neutral (not particularly happy or unhappy)
4 slightly unhappy (just a bit below neutral)
3 mildly unhappy (just a little low)
2 pretty unhappy (somewhat "blue", spirits down)
1 very unhappy (depressed, spirits very low)
0 extremely unhappy (utterly depressed, completely down)
Fordyce Happiness Scale - Classification:
- A-AOL-g-sq-v-11-a
- Author's label:
- Happiness