Table of Contents
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Description | The Subjective Hunger Scale (Epstein, 1961) was designed to measure the current level of experienced hunger. It was utilized in a study examining hunger levels in 180 college students under different fasting conditions, including after lunch, before dinner, and after skipping meals. Participants rated their hunger using one of five statements, with some participants incentivized with payments for missing one or two meals. Hunger levels were further validated by a questionnaire about recent food intake and a self-rating scale. |
| Instrument Type | Rating Scale |
| Construct | Hunger |
| Purpose | To measure the immediate degree of hunger experienced by an individual. |
| Author | Seymour Epstein |
| Affiliation | University of Massachusetts |
| Test Year | 1961 |
| Reliability | No reliability data indicated. |
| Validity | No validity data indicated. |
| Factor Analysis | No factor analysis indicated. |
| Format | Single-item measure with a multiple-choice response format. |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Classification | 7100 Perceptual, Motor, and Sensory Processing |
| Age Group | Adulthood (18 yrs & older) |
| Population Group | Human; Male; Female |
| Population Details | College students |
| Location | United States |
| Keywords | Subjective Hunger Scale; Test Development |
| Index Terms | Hunger; Rating Scales; Test Construction |
| Permissions | Not Specified |
| Reference | Epstein, S. (1961). Food-related responses to ambiguous stimuli as a function of hunger and ego strength. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 25(6), 463–469. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0044029. |
Subjective Hunger Scale
Indicate how hungry you feel at the present moment, by placing a check mark to the left of the appropriate
statement:
- _____ (a) Not hungry at all (the thought of eating has absolutely no appeal to me at the moment)
- _____ (b) Slightly hungry (would eat something very good, but the thought of food, in general, is not appealing at the moment)
- _____ (c) Fairly hungry (the thought of food is somewhat appealing at the moment, and could enjoy something good)
- _____ (d) Hungry (the thought of food is appealing at the moment, and even something ordinary would be welcome)
- _____ (e) Very hungry (can’t wait to eat something; almost anything would taste good)
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Subjective Hunger Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/subjective-hunger-scale/
Mohammed looti. "Subjective Hunger Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 4 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/subjective-hunger-scale/.
Mohammed looti. "Subjective Hunger Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/subjective-hunger-scale/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Subjective Hunger Scale', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/subjective-hunger-scale/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Subjective Hunger Scale," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Subjective Hunger Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.