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American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 116, No. 6: 949-958
Copyright © 1982 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

research-article

ON THE MEASUREMENT OF HAPPINESS

AN EXAMINATION OF THE BRADBURN SCALE IN THE CANADA HEALTH SURVEY

IAN McDOWELL1, and ED PRAUGHT2

1Dept of Epidemiology, U. of Ottawa Faculty of Health Sciences 451 Smyth Rd , Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
2Health Division, Statistics Canada R. H. Coats Bldg, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Send reprint requests to Dr McDowell at this address

Certain characteristics of the Bradburn scale of psychologic well-being which have been criticized in recent discussions are re-examined using data from the 1978-1979 national Canada Health Survey. This large data set (N = 17,279) enabled the authors to examine the questions In a representative sample of the noninstitutionallzed population. Reference standards are derived showing response frequencies by age and sex. In addition, the validity of the theoretic foundation of the scale is examined. The conclusions suggest that the items measure two dimensions of affect and are applicable In at least two different cultural groups. However, under certain circumstances the affect balance score does not provide the most adequate summary of the data, and the notion of independence between positive and negative affect does not hold for all of the questions. The authors conclude that two of the questions In particular appear weak, but that the design of the scale as a whole shows advantages over alternative Instruments as an Indicator of emotional well-being in general population surveys. They advocate that the scale continue to be used until a more adequate set of questions can be developed.

mental health; questionnaires; psychometrics


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