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Happiness as Stable Extraversion: Internal Consistency Reliability and Construct Validity of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Among Undergraduate Students

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Abstract

The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) was developed by Hills and Argyle (2002) to provide a more accessible equivalent measure of the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI). The aim of the present study was to examine the internal consistency reliability, and construct validity of this new instrument alongside the Eysenckian dimensional model of personality. The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was completed by a sample of 131 undergraduate students together with the abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The data demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (alpha = .92) and good construct validity in terms of positive association with extraversion (r = .38 p < .001) and negative association with neuroticism (r = −.57 p < .001). The kind of happiness measured by the OHQ is clearly associated with stable extraversion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Warwick, Coventry, England, UK

    Mandy Robbins & Leslie J. Francis

  2. Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK

    Bethan Edwards

  3. Warwick Religions & Education Research Unit, Institute of Education, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK

    Leslie J. Francis

Authors
  1. Mandy Robbins
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  2. Leslie J. Francis
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  3. Bethan Edwards
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Correspondence to Leslie J. Francis.

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Robbins, M., Francis, L.J. & Edwards, B. Happiness as Stable Extraversion: Internal Consistency Reliability and Construct Validity of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Among Undergraduate Students. Curr Psychol 29, 89–94 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-010-9076-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-010-9076-8

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