Orientations to Happiness Scale – OTH
Measures three distinct pathways to happiness: pleasure (hedonism), engagement (flow), and meaning (eudaimonism).
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Orientations to Happiness Scale – OTH was developed by Christopher Peterson, Nansook Park, Martin E. P. Seligman (2005). It is designed to measure Orientations to happiness. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Pleasure, Engagement, Meaning.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasure | 3,8,13,15,16,18 | 6 |
| Engagement | 1,4,6,7,9,10 | 6 |
| Meaning | 2,5,11,12,14,17 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very Much Like Me, 2 = Mostly Like Me, 3 = Somewhat Like Me, 4 = A Little Like Me, 5 = Not Like Me.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Subscale scores are calculated as the average of the items on each subscale, ranging from 1 to 5.: 1 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Pleasure (alpha = 0.84), Meaning (alpha = 0.88), Engagement/Flow (alpha = 0.77).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.