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Studies

White et al. (1999): study US 1999

Publication

Author(s):
White, H.; Clipp, E.; McConnell, E.
Title:
Surfing the Net in Later Life: A Review of the Literature and Pilot Study of Computer Use and Quality of Life .
Source:
The Journal of Applied Gerontology, 1999, Vol. 18, 358 - 378

Investigation

Public
65+ aged, residents of a retirement community, USA, 1999
Survey name
Unnamed study
Sample
Non-probability self-selected
Respondents
N = 23
Non Response
Assessment
Multiple assesment methods
A combination of selfreports and telephone interviews at T1 (before the study), T2 (after 2 weeks of training), and T3 after 5 months

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
Remarks:
The authors transformed the original -5 to +5 scale to 0-10

Weighed mean computed by WDH-team
Page in publication:
364
Observed distribution
Summary Statistics
On original range -5 - 5 On range 0-10
Mean:
9.01 -
SD:
1.40 -

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding Computer and internet training Ability to use internet
Learned to use internet
Guidance of vulnerable people