Oxford Happiness Questionnaire
The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was developed by psychologists Michael Argyle and Peter Hills at
Oxford University.
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 statements carefully, some of the questions are phrased positively and others
negatively. Don’t take too long over individual questions; there are no “right” or “wrong” answers (and
no trick questions). The first answer that comes into your head is probably the right one for you. If you
find some of the questions difficult, please give the answer that is true for you in general or for most of
the time.
The Questionnaire
1. I don’t feel particularly pleased with the way I am. ( R)
2. I am intensely interested in other people.
3. I feel that life is very rewarding.
4. I have very warm feelings towards almost everyone.
5. I rarely wake up feeling rested. (R)
6. I am not particularly optimistic about the future. (R)
7. I find most things amusing.
8. I am always committed and involved.
9. Life is good.
10. I do not think that the world is a good place. (R) _
11. I laugh a lot.
12. I am well satisfied about everything in my life.
13. I don’t think I look attractive. (R)
14. There is a gap between what I would like to do and what I have done. (R)
15. I am very happy.
16. I find beauty in some things.
17. I always have a cheerful effect on others.
18. I can fit in (find time for) everything I want to.
19. I feel that I am not especially in control of my life. (R)
20. I feel able to take anything on.
21. I feel fully mentally alert.
22. I often experience joy and elation.
23. I don’t find it easy to make decisions. (R)
24. I don’t have a particular sense of meaning and purpose in my life. (R)
25. I feel I have a great deal of energy.
26. I usually have a good influence on events.
27. I don’t have fun with other people. (R)
28. I don’t feel particularly healthy. (R)
29. I don’t have particularly happy memories of the past. (R)
Calculate your score
Step 1. Items marked (R) should be scored in reverse:
For example, 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.
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.