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

33 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

Access to Document

10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.011

Cite this

@article{fb795b1a0dd9463a9c54789339f0f07a,

title = "A hierarchy of happiness? Mokken scaling analysis of the Oxford Happiness Inventory",

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.",

keywords = "Happiness, Item response theory, Latent trait, Mokken scaling, Mood, Oxford Happiness Inventory",

author = "Stewart, {Mary E.} and Roger Watson and Clark, {Andrea Irene} and Ebmeier, {Klaus P.} and Deary, {Ian J.}",

year = "2010",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.011",

language = "English",

volume = "48",

pages = "845--848",

journal = "Personality and Individual Differences",

issn = "0191-8869",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "7",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A hierarchy of happiness? Mokken scaling analysis of the Oxford Happiness Inventory

AU - Stewart, Mary E.

AU - Watson, Roger

AU - Clark, Andrea Irene

AU - Ebmeier, Klaus P.

AU - Deary, Ian J.

PY - 2010/5

Y1 - 2010/5

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Happiness

KW - Item response theory

KW - Latent trait

KW - Mokken scaling

KW - Mood

KW - Oxford Happiness Inventory

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77949338453&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.011

DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.011

M3 - Article

SN - 0191-8869

VL - 48

SP - 845

EP - 848

JO - Personality and Individual Differences

JF - Personality and Individual Differences

IS - 7

ER -

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

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this