A hierarchy of happiness? Mokken scaling analysis of the Oxford Happiness Inventory

Mary E. Stewart; Roger Watson; Andrea Irene Clark; Klaus P. Ebmeier; Ian J. Deary

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.011

A hierarchy of happiness? Mokken scaling analysis of the Oxford Happiness Inventory

Mary E. Stewart, Roger Watson, Andrea Irene Clark, Klaus P. Ebmeier, Ian J. Deary

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The items of the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI), a self-report assessment of happiness, are subjected to an analysis for hierarchy among its items. By using Mokken scaling analyses we can assess whether items can reliably be ordered between persons as severity indicators on a latent trait; in this case, a latent trait of Happiness. OHI item-level data from 1024 participants were entered into the Mokken Scaling Procedure (MSP) seeking reliable scales with H > 0.30. 12 OHI items formed a reliable and statistically significant hierarchy. However, the MSP values indicate a 'weak' scale. The 'most difficult' (happiest) item on the scale is 'feeling energetic' and the 'least difficult' (least happy) is 'I have fun'. Items in the scale are consistent with what is already known about both happiness and low mood. The reduction in the OHI's items from 29 to 12 in the Mokken scale may have utility making it more accessible to participants as well as identifying items with reliably different levels of 'difficulty'. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	845-848
Number of pages	4
Journal	Personality and Individual Differences
Volume	48
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.011
Publication status	Published - May 2010

Keywords

Happiness
Item response theory
Latent trait
Mokken scaling
Mood
Oxford Happiness Inventory

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10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.011

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abstract = "The items of the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI), a self-report assessment of happiness, are subjected to an analysis for hierarchy among its items. By using Mokken scaling analyses we can assess whether items can reliably be ordered between persons as severity indicators on a latent trait; in this case, a latent trait of Happiness. OHI item-level data from 1024 participants were entered into the Mokken Scaling Procedure (MSP) seeking reliable scales with H > 0.30. 12 OHI items formed a reliable and statistically significant hierarchy. However, the MSP values indicate a 'weak' scale. The 'most difficult' (happiest) item on the scale is 'feeling energetic' and the 'least difficult' (least happy) is 'I have fun'. Items in the scale are consistent with what is already known about both happiness and low mood. The reduction in the OHI's items from 29 to 12 in the Mokken scale may have utility making it more accessible to participants as well as identifying items with reliably different levels of 'difficulty'. {\textcopyright} 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",

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A hierarchy of happiness? Mokken scaling analysis of the Oxford Happiness Inventory

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Keywords

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