Arousal (Positive)

What it measures

A three-item likert scale designed to measure the degree to which a person feels that he/she is experiencing pleasurable stimulation in his/her life.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• I feel I am experiencing new sensations and activities.
• I feel intense physical pleasure and enjoyment.
• I feel I have found new sources and types of stimulation for myself.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Internal consistency (alpha = .88) was reported in the primary study. Formal validity assessment was not reported by the original authors.

Citation

Sheldon, Kennon M., Andrew J. Elliot, Youngmee Kim, and Tim Kasser (2001), "What Is Satisfying About Satisfying Events? Testing 10 Candidate Psychological Needs," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80 (2), 325-39.

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