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A Scale for the Assessment of Hedonic Tone the Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

R. P. Snaith ,
M. Hamilton ,
S. Morley ,
A. Humayan ,
D. Hargreaves  and
P. Trigwell
R. P. Snaith*
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Clinical Sciences Building, St James's University Hospital, Leeds
M. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Clinical Sciences Building, St James's University Hospital, Leeds
S. Morley
Affiliation:
Leeds Regional Psychiatric Rotational Training Scheme
A. Humayan
Affiliation:
Leeds Regional Psychiatric Rotational Training Scheme
D. Hargreaves
Affiliation:
Leeds Regional Psychiatric Rotational Training Scheme
P. Trigwell
Affiliation:
Leeds Regional Psychiatric Rotational Training Scheme
*
Dr R. P. Snaith, Division of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Clinical Sciences Building, St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF
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Extract

Background

Hedonic tone and its absence, anhedonia, are important in psychopathological research, but instruments for their assessment are lengthy and probably culturally biased.

Method

A new scale was constructed from the responses of a large sample of the general population to a request to list six situations which afforded pleasure. The most frequent items were reviewed and those likely to be affected by cultural setting, age, or sex were removed. A pilot study led to an abbreviated scale of 14 items, covering four domains of pleasure response. This questionnaire was subjected to psychometric evaluation in new samples from the general population and psychiatric patients.

Results

The scale was found to have a score range that would distinguish a ‘normal’ from an ‘abnormal’ response. Validity and reliability were found to be satisfactory.

Conclusions

The new scale, the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), is an instrument which may be recommended for psychopathological research.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 167 , Issue 1 , July 1995 , pp. 99 - 103
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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