Note: Items indicated with an asterisk form briefer versions of their respective scales that still
have adequate internal consistency (typically .8+, .75+ in the case of the brief meaning scale), as
reviewed in:
Huta, V. (2013). Pursuing eudaimonia versus hedonia: Distinctions, similarities, and relationships. In
A. Waterman (Ed.), The best within us: Positive psychology perspectives on eudaimonic
functioning (chapter 7, pp. 139-158). APA Books.
Positive affect, negative affect, self-esteem, carefreeness, elevating experience, and selfconnectedness have been given in the following intermixed format:
Please indicate how much you TYPICALLY feel each of the following states.
1 = not at all, 7 = extremely
happy - PA
carefree - CAREFREE
frustrated - NA
inspired – ELEVATED *
depressed - NA
connected with myself – SELF_CONNECTED
easygoing - CAREFREE
in awe – ELEVATED *
deeply appreciating – ELEVATED *
that I know who I am – SELF-CONNECTED
unhappy - NA
lighthearted - CAREFREE
in wonder - ELEVATED
enriched - ELEVATED
that I have a clear sense of my values – SELF-CONNECTED
profoundly touched by experiences - ELEVATED
enjoyment/fun - PA
spiritually uplifted - ELEVATED
joyful - PA
detached from my troubles - CAREFREE
part of something greater than myself – ELEVATED *
I have high self-esteem – SELF-ESTEEM
free of concerns - CAREFREE
angry/hostile - NA
morally elevated – ELEVATED *
emotionally moved - ELEVATED
connected with a greater whole - ELEVATED
aware of how I feel – SELF-CONNECTED
pleased - PA
happy-go-lucky - CAREFREE
worried/anxious - NA
part of some greater entity - ELEVATED
aware of what matters to me – SELF-CONNECTED
like I’m in the presence of something grand - ELEVATED
Experience of meaning:
To what degree do you TYPICALLY feel that YOUR ACTIVITIES AND
EXPERIENCES are:
1 = not at all, 7 = very much
meaningful *
valuable *
precious *
full of significance *
something I can treasure
dear to me
playing an important role in some broader picture
making a lot of sense to me
I can see where they fit into the bigger picture
I can see how they all add up
they contribute to various aspects of myself
they contribute to my community or the broader world
(Subjective) vitality:
To what degree do you TYPICALLY feel each of the following:
1 = not at all true, 7 = very much true
I feel energized
I feel alive and vital
I have energy and spirit
I nearly always feel alert and awake
I look forward to each new day
I feel so alive I just want to burst
Satisfaction With Life Scale, AKA Life satisfaction:
Below are five statements with which you may agree or disagree. Using the 1-7 scale
below, pick the number which corresponds with the answer that is most true of you.
Please be open and honest in your responding.
1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree
In most ways, my life is close to my ideal.
The conditions of my life are excellent.
I am satisfied with my life.
So far I have gotten the important things I want in life.
If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.
References
All scales have alphas exceeding .80 unless otherwise specified
Positive affect (4 items), negative affect (5 items):
Diener, E., & Emmons, R. A. (1984). The independence of positive and negative affect. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1105–1117.
Elevating experience:
Full version (13 items):
Huta, V., & Ryan, R.M. (2010). Pursuing pleasure or virtue: The differential and overlapping
well-being benefits of hedonic and eudaimonic motives. Journal of Happiness Studies,
11, 735–762.
Brief version (5 items) (alpha > .75):
Huta, V., & Ryan, R.M. (2010). Pursuing pleasure or virtue: The differential and overlapping
well-being benefits of hedonic and eudaimonic motives. Journal of Happiness Studies,
11, 735–762.
Carefreeness (6 items):
Huta, V., & Ryan, R.M. (2010). Pursuing pleasure or virtue: The differential and overlapping
well-being benefits of hedonic and eudaimonic motives. Journal of Happiness Studies,
11, 735–762.
Experience of meaning:
Full version (12 items):
Huta, V., & Ryan, R.M. (2010). Pursuing pleasure or virtue: The differential and overlapping
well-being benefits of hedonic and eudaimonic motives. Journal of Happiness Studies,
11, 735–762.
Brief version (4 items) (alpha > .75):
Huta, V., & Ryan, R.M. (2010). Pursuing pleasure or virtue: The differential and overlapping
well-being benefits of hedonic and eudaimonic motives. Journal of Happiness Studies,
11, 735–762.
Self-connectedness (5 items):
Huta, V. (2012). Linking peoples’ pursuit of eudaimonia and hedonia with characteristics of their
parents: Parenting styles, verbally endorsed values, and role modeling. Journal of
Happiness Studies, 13, 47–61.
Subjective vitality:
Original scale (7 items):
Ryan, R. M., & Frederick, C. (1997). On energy, personality, and health: Subjective vitality as a
dynamic reflection of well-being. Journal of Personality, 65, 529–565.
Slightly shortened scale used above (6 items):
Bostic, T.J., Rubio, D.M., & Hood, M. (2000). A validation of the subjective vitality scale using
structural equation modeling. Social Indicators Research, 52, 313–324.
Satisfaction With Life Scale (5 items):
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale.
Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.
Self-esteem (1 item):
Robins, R. W., Hendin, H. M., & Trzesniewski, K. H. (2001). Measuring global self-esteem:
Construct validation of a single-item measure and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 151–161.