Table of Contents
Background:
The Affect Intensity Measure (AIM) examines emotional reactions to typical life events. It typically contains 40 items, although a 20 item short-form of the measure is available, rated on six point scale from Never to Almost Always. The AIM gives an indication of how strongly or weakly an individual tends to experience emotions in their everyday life.
Author of Tool:
Larsen, R. J.
Key references:
Larsen, R. J. (1984). Theory and measurement of affect intensity as an individual difference characteristic. Dissertation Abstracts International, 85, 2297B. (University Microfilms No. 84-22112)
Larsen, R. J. (2009). Affect Intensity. In M. R. Leary & R. H. Hoyle (Eds.), Handbook of individual differences in social behavior (pp. 241-254). New York: The Guilford Press.
Larsen, R. J., Diener, E., & Emmons, R. A. (1986). Affect intensity and reactions to daily life events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 803-814.
Larsen, R. J., & Diener, E. (1987). Affect intensity as an individual difference characteristic: A review. Journal of Research in Personality, 21, 1-39.
Primary use / Purpose:
The Affect Intensity Measure (AIM) is designed to measure the characteristic strength or weakness with which one experiences emotion.
Affect Intensity Measure (AIM) (40 item Long form)
DIRECTIONS: The following questions refer to emotional reactions to typical life-events. Please indicate how YOU react to these events by placing a number from the following scale in the blank space preceding each item. Please base your answers on how YOU react, not on how you think others react or how you think a person should react.
- NEVER ALMOST
- NEVER
- OCCASIONALLY
- USUALLY
- ALWAYS ALMOST
- ALWAYS
- 1. When I accomplish something difficult I feel delighted or elated.
- 2. When I feel happy it is a strong type of exuberance.
- 3. I enjoy being with other people very much.
- 4. I feel pretty bad when I tell a lie.
- 5. When I solve a small personal problem, I feel euphoric.
- 6. My emotions tend to be more intense than those of most people.
- 7. My happy moods are so strong that I feel like I’m in heaven.
- 8. I get overly enthusiastic.
- 9. If I complete a task I thought was impossible, I am ecstatic.
- 10. My heart races at the anticipation of some exciting event.
- 11. Sad movies deeply touch me.
- 12. When I’m happy it’s a feeling of being untroubled and content rather than being zestful and aroused.
- 13. When I talk in front of a group for the first time my voice gets shaky and my heart races.
- 14. When something good happens, I’m usually much more jubilant than others.
- 15. My friends might say I’m emotional.
- 16. The memories I like the most are of those times when I felt content and peaceful rather than zestful and enthusiastic.
- 17. The sight of someone who is hurt badly affects me strongly.
- 18. When I’m feeling well it’s easy for me to go from being in a good mood to being really joyful.
- 19. “Calm and cool” could easily describe me.
- 20. When I’m happy I feel like I’m bursting with joy.
- 21. Seeing a picture of some violent car accident in a newspaper makes me feel sick to my stomach.
- 22. When I’m happy I feel very energetic.
- 23. When I receive a reward I become overjoyed.
- 24. When I succeed at something, my reaction is calm and contentment.
- 25. When I do something wrong I have strong feelings of shame and guilt.
- 26. I can remain calm even on the most trying days.
- 27. When things are going good I feel ‘on top of the world’.
- 28. When I get angry it’s easy for me to still be rational and not overreact.
- 29. When I know I have done something very well, I feel relaxed and content rather than excited and elated.
- 30. When I do feel anxiety it is normally very strong.
- 31. My negative moods are mild in intensity.
- 32. When I am excited over something I want to share my feelings with everyone.
- 33. When I feel happiness, it is a quiet type of contentment.
- 34. My friends would probably say I’m a tense or ‘high-strung’ person.
- 35. When I’m happy I bubble over with energy.
- 36. When I feel guilty, this emotion is quite strong.
- 37. I would characterize my happy moods as closer to contentment than joy.
- 38. When someone compliments me, I get so happy I could ‘burst’.
- 39. When I am nervous I get shaky all over.
- 40. When I am happy the feeling is more like contentment and inner calm than one of exhilaration and excitement.
Affect Intensity Measure (Simplified) ( 20 item short form)
Directions: The following questions refer to emotional reaction’s typical lite events. Please indicate how YOU react 10’ihcse events by placing a number from the following scale preceding each -item. Please base your answers on how YOU react, not on how you think others react or how you think a person should react.
- NEVER
- A.LMO T NEVER
- OCCASIONAL.LY
- USUALLY
- ALMOST ALWAY
- ALWAYS
- When I feel happiness. it is a quiet type of contentment.
- When a person io a wheelchair can’t get through a door. I have strong feelings of pity.
- I get upset easily.
- When L succeed at something, my reaction is calm contentment.
- I get really happy or really unhappy.
- I’m a fairly quiet person.
- When I’m happy, I feel very energetic.
- Seeing a picture of some violent car accident in a newspaper makes me feel sick to my stomach.
- When rm happy. I feel like I’m bursting with joy.
- I would be very upset if i got a traffic ticket.
- Looking at beautiful scenery really doesn’t affect me much.
- The weather doesn’t affect my mood.
- Others tend to get more excited about things than I do.
- I am not an extremely enthusiastic individual.
- ‘Calm and cool’ could easily describe me.
- When I’m feeling well it’s easy for me to go from being in a good mood to being really joyful
- When I worry, it is so mild then I hardly notice it
- i get overly enthusiastic.
- My happy moods are so strong that l feel like rm ‘in heaven’.
- When something bad happens. others tend to be more unhappy than I.