Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS)
Psychology: Mental HealthReliability: alpha 0.913 sample items
About this scale
A 14-item measure of anhedonia — reduced ability to experience pleasure across multiple hedonic domains. Used in depression and schizophrenia research.
Sample item(s)
“I would enjoy my favourite television or radio programme”
“I would find pleasure in my hobbies and pastimes”
“I would be able to enjoy a beautiful landscape or view”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.91. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Free for academic use.
Source & citation
Snaith, R. P., Hamilton, M., Morley, S., Humayan, A., Hargreaves, D., & Trigwell, P. (1995): A scale for the assessment of hedonic tone: The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 167, No. 1, pp. 99–103.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
Use it in your research
Need to check the reliability or psychometrics of this scale in your own data? Use the free DrAIStudio research tools:
Cronbach’s alpha calculator
All statistical calculators
Search the full Scale Atlas
Academic writing humanizer