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Happiness Measures

Characteristics

Code:
A-BB-g-mq-v-3-a
Focus:
Affect: Balance (Bradburn's index) (A-BB)
Time frame:
generally (g)
Mode:
multiple questions (mq)
Scale Type:
verbal scale (v)
Scale Range:
3

Description

Self report on 8 questions:

"Here is a list that describes some of the ways people feel at different times. How often do you feel each of these ways?"
A  Very lonely or remote from other people
B  Depressed or very unhappy
C  Bored
D  So restless you couldn't sit long in a chair
E  Vaguely uneasy about something without knowing why
F  On top of the world
G  Particularly excited or interested in something
H  Pleased about having accomplished something

Answer options:
0  never
1  sometimes
3  often
Summation:
Positive Affect Score (PAS): summed scores on F, G, H
Negative Affect Score (NAS): summed scores on A, B, C, D, E
Affect Balance Score (ABS): PAS minus NAS

Possible range  -15 to +9
Transformed to a 7 point scale, where 1 is all or almost all positive feelings and 7 is all or almost all negative feelings.
1 = neg 0-1 and pos 7-9
2 = neg 0-1 and pos 4-6
2 = neg 2-3 and pos 7-9
3 = neg 0-1 and pos 3
3 = neg 2-3 and pos 4-6
3 = neg 4-5 and pos 7-9
4 = neg 0-1 and pos 0-2
4 = neg 2-3 and pos 3
4 = neg 4-5 and pos 4-6
4 = neg 6-15 and pos 7-9
5 = neg 2-3 and pos 0-2
5 = neg 4-5 and pos 3
5 = neg 6-15 and pos 4-6
6 = neg 4-5 and pos 0-2
6 = neg 6-15 and pos 3
7 = neg 6-15 and pos 0-2

Name: Berkman modified variation of Bradburn's `Affect Balance Scale'

List of Studies Using this Measure

Study Population N Mean
Standard Deviation
Berkman (1971): study US Alameda County, California 1965 Adults, general public, Alameda County, USA, 1965 N = 6928
Schulz & Decker (1985): study US 1985 40+ aged, spinal-cord-injured, non-institutionalised, Portland Oregon, USA, 198? N = 100
Mean
= 4.000
Cropanzano & Wright (1999): study US 1992 Social welfare professionals, United States, followed 5 years 1992-1997 N = 60
Mean
= 3.500
Wright & Cropanzano (2000): study US 1997 Human services workers, United States, 1997 N = 47
Mean
= 3.600
SD
= 1.500
Wright & Cropanzano (2000): study US 1997 /1 Juvenile probation officers, United States, 1997 N = 37
Mean
= 3.600
SD
= 1.400