Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS)
Psychology: Mental HealthReliability: alpha 0.79–0.942 sample items
About this scale
A 4-item global measure of subjective happiness, treating happiness as a unitary trait-state. Cross-culturally validated.
Sample item(s)
“In general, I consider myself: 1=not a very happy person … 7=a very happy person”
“Compared with most of my peers, I consider myself: 1=less happy … 7=more happy”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.79–0.94. 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
Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999): A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 137–155.
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.
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