Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) Assessment

Introduction:

The Subjective Happiness Scale quantifies how happy you feel relative to your peers and baseline mood. You respond to four succinct statements covering general outlook and typical emotional tone. A consistent seven-point rating captures subtle differences, producing a single numerical total that reflects your perceived life satisfaction. The instrument has been validated across ages and cultures.

This online version streamlines the original paper form into a responsive interface that scores your answers instantly. It keeps progress visible, highlights unanswered items, and visualises the final score inside a semicircular gauge. Colour-coded badges summarise whether your total falls in a low, medium, or high range. Because everything runs locally, results appear without waiting or transmitting personal information.

Use the scale to track well-being over weeks or evaluate the impact of new habits. Repeat sessions under similar conditions to observe genuine trends rather than momentary mood swings. Avoid comparing single snapshots taken during unusually stressful or exceptional days. Results do not constitute a clinical diagnosis or therapeutic advice.

Technical Details:

The SHS treats happiness as a single latent variable represented by the sum of four ordinal item scores. A reverse transformation on the negatively worded item normalises directionality before the total is classified into low, medium, or high bands using empirically derived cut-offs.

The seven-point scale balances sensitivity with respondent ease, capturing shifts that a binary choice would miss. Reverse scoring item four prevents a methodological artifact where lower raw numbers would otherwise inflate the total toward pessimism.

• Four items minimise respondent fatigue.
• Seven-point scale balances nuance with clarity.
• Reverse scoring corrects negative wording bias.
• Integer sum yields 4–28 total range.
• Higher totals indicate greater perceived happiness.

All calculations run solely in your browser, protecting privacy and delivering instant updates.

Calculations & Scoring:

The tool applies a straightforward formula to translate your four ratings into a total score and band.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Follow these steps to complete the questionnaire and see your result.

1. Click Start Assessment to load the first item.
2. Select a radio option for each statement using the seven-point scale; 1 denotes very low and 4 represents neutral.
3. Watch the progress bar update until it reaches 100 %. Unanswered items are flagged in the side list.
4. Use the question list to revisit any item—completed rows display a check-mark icon.
5. After the final selection, read your colour-coded badge and gauge to understand the total.
6. Scroll to Your Answers to review or print the completed table for personal records.

FAQ:

The answers below address common questions about scoring, privacy, and interpretation.