Orientations to Happiness Scale (OTH)
Measures three distinct pathways to happiness: a life of pleasure (hedonism), a life of engagement (flow), and a life of meaning (eudaimonia).
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: Life of Meaning, Life of Pleasure, Life of Engagement.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Life of Meaning | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | 6 |
| Life of Pleasure | 7,8,9,10,11,12 | 6 |
| Life of Engagement | 13,14,15,16,17,18 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 6 to 30. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low endorsement of this orientation: 6 – 14
- Moderate endorsement of this orientation: 15 – 22
- High endorsement of this orientation: 23 – 30
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .70 to .85 for the subscales.
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.