Subjective Happiness Scale: What Does It Consist Of?

Happiness is the greatest desire of all human beings. However, due to its ambiguity, it is difficult to establish a concrete definition and design instruments to effectively assess it. The Subjective Happiness Scale fulfills this objective with high reliability through a simple procedure.

From the beginning of the study of psychology, general interest has focused on the pathological and negative domain of human behavior. Fortunately,  in recent times, social scientists have paid more attention to the study of strengths and abilities, whose greatest exponent is happiness represented as a social construct.

What is happiness?

Happiness can be defined as a state of fullness, satisfaction, joy and pleasure. It is positively related to several physical, psychological and social aspects of people’s lives.

Thus,  happy people seem to have better physical health and a stronger immune system. In addition, they achieve higher success rates in various areas of life, such as professional, financial, marital and social.

One might think that this relationship is unidirectional: achievements make people happier. However, the phenomenon has been shown to work in both directions.

Happy people make better decisions and have a more adaptive interpretation of reality. They respond more functionally to everyday experiences and recover more quickly after failures. That is, their particular way of thinking and acting leads them to success.

Another important aspect to consider is the fact that happiness means something different for each person. Other instruments designed to assess it have tried to measure specific aspects, perhaps ignoring the more relevant reality: happiness is subjective.

That is why the Subjective Happiness Scale provides a more adjusted view, as it takes into account the perception of each individual.

Happiness does not consist in the systematic achievement of achievements. There are those who “have it all” and are not happy. On the other hand, other people are able to find happiness even in the most adverse of times.

the subjective scale of happiness

Based on this premise, the scale we analyze in this article measures each person’s subjective perception of well-being. For this, it  uses a simple structure of four questions that must be answered based on a scale from 1 to 7, as follows:

• How happy do you consider yourself in general? Choose an answer between 1 (very little happy) and 7 (very happy).
• Compared to most of your peers, how happy do you consider yourself? Respond with a value from 1 (least happy) to 7 (happiest).
• Some people are very happy in general. They enjoy life no matter what happens and make the most of everything. To what extent does this characterization describe you? Respond by choosing a value between 1 (not at all) and 7 (completely).
• Some people are not very happy. Although they are not depressed, they never seem to be as happy as they could be. To what extent does this characterization describe you? Respond by choosing a number between 1 (completely) and 7 (not at all).

To calculate your result, simply add up your four scores and divide the resulting number by four. The obtained value indicates your current subjective happiness level. The average score for the general population varies according to gender, age and other personal characteristics. However, it usually ranges between 4.5 and 5.5.

Usefulness of the Subjective Happiness Scale

This assessment instrument was tested in populations of different ages, genders and cultures, proving to be, in all of them, a reliable measure of subjective happiness. The scale’s reliability and validity make it a simple and useful tool to determine the level of perceived well-being.

Furthermore,  the results obtained on this scale seem to correlate with other important concepts, such as optimism and extraversion. People with these traits are more likely to score higher in happiness. So if your score on this scale is low, try shifting your focus: happiness is subjective.