The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was created by Oxford University psychologists Michael Argyle and Peter Hills. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. This is a good way to get a sense of how happy you are right now. You can also use the ratings to compare to your current satisfaction level by doing the test again in the future. You will see how the score on the Oxford Satisfaction Questionnaire improves as a result of using any of the measures provided on this platform to improve your happiness level.
Instructions
Below are a number of statements about happiness. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each by entering a number in the blank after each statement, according to the following scale:
1 = strongly disagree
2 = moderately disagree
3 = slightly disagree
4 = slightly agree
5 = moderately agree
6 = strongly agree
Please read the sentences closely since others are favorably phrased and some are negatively phrased. Don’t spend too much time on each question; there are no “correct” or “wrong” responses (and no trick questions). The first response that comes to mind is most likely correct for you. If any of the questions are complicated for you, please provide the response that is valid for you much of the time or in general.
Questionnaire
1. I’m not especially happy with how I’m looking. (R)_________
2. I am genuinely curious about other people._______________
3. I consider life to be very satisfying._______________
4. I have a strong affinity with about all._______________
5. I seldom feel refreshed when I wake up. (R)_______________
6. I have a pessimistic outlook for the future. (R)_______________
7. I find the majority of things to be funny._______________
8. I am dedicated and active at all times._______________
9. Life is wonderful._______________
10. I do not believe the universe is a safe place to live. (R)_________
11. I laugh a lot._________
12. I am fully pleased with every aspect of my life._________
13. I don’t believe I’m attractive. (R)_________
14. There is a disconnect between what I want to achieve and what I have accomplished. (R)_________
15. I am extremely happy._________
16. There are certain aspects that I find beautiful._________
17. I do have a positive impact on those around me._________
18. I have enough time to do whatever I want._________
19. I don’t feel like I have any control of my life. (R)_________
20. I believe I am capable of taking on every challenge._________
21. My mental faculties are completely operational._________
22. I am frequently filled with excitement and elation._________
23. Making choices is difficult for me. (R)_________
24. In my life, I don’t have a strong sense of meaning and reason. (R)_________
25. I believe I have a lot of energy._________
26. I normally have a positive impact on things._________
27. I don’t like myself while I’m with other people. (R)_________
28. I’m not in the best of shape. (R)_________
29. I don’t have many fond memories from my childhood. (R)_________
Calculate your score
Step 1. Items marked (R) should be scored in reverse:
If you gave yourself a “1,” cross it out and change it to a “6.”
Change “2” to a “5”
Change “3” to a “4”
Change “4” to a “3”
Change “5” to a “2”
Change “6” to a “1”
Step 2. Add the numbers for all 29 questions. (Use the converted numbers for the 12 items that are reverse scored.)
Step 3. Divide by 29. So your happiness score = the total (from step 2) divided by 29.
I suggest that you keep track of your score as well as the date. Then you’ll be able to equate your current score to your score from a later date. This is particularly true if you are attempting any of the workouts and are consciously looking to improve your happiness.
UPDATE: Many people have asked for an explanation of the raw number “happiness ranking” that you get in step 3 above. What follows is purely speculative, but it is based in part on the fact that the average individual receives a score of about 4.
SCORE INTERPRETATION
I recommend that you read all of the entries below, regardless of your ranking, since I believe there is useful material for all.
1-2 : I’m not pleased. If you responded frankly and received a low grade, you’re probably overestimating yourself and your condition. I consider taking the University of Pennsylvania’s “Authentic Happiness” Testing Center’s Depression Symptoms Test (CES-D Questionnaire). You would need to enrol, but this is advantageous because there are many decent exams available, and you can retake them and compare the results later.
2-3 : A little dissatisfied. Try any of the activities on this blog, such as the Gratitude Journal & Gratitude Lists, or the Gratitude Visit; or go to the “Authentic Happiness” site, which I mentioned above.
3–4: Not overly pleased or dissatisfied. An exact proportional composite of positive and sad answers will be 3.5. Any of the exercises listed above have been shown in experimental experiments to make people happy in the long run.
4 : Somewhat happy or very happy. I’m happy. The average citizen receives a ranking like this.
4-5 : Very pleased; rather pleased. Any of my tips can be seen in other score levels.
5-6 : Very pleased. There are more advantages of being happy than simply looking healthy. It’s linked to things like improved fitness, happier relationships, and achieving your goals. Keep an eye out for a post on this subject in the near future.
6 : I’m overjoyed. That’s right, you heard that correctly. Recent literature suggests that there is an ideal degree of satisfaction for activities like doing better at work or education or being healthy, and that being “too happy” is linked to lower levels of these things.
Reference
Hills, P., & Argyle, M. (2002). The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire: a compact scale for the measurement of psychological well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 33, 1073–1082.