Irrational Happiness Beliefs Scale: Development and Initial Validation

This study sought to develop a new scale of irrational happiness beliefs (IHB) and test its reliability and validity across two British samples. The participants were subjected to a series of happiness, rationality, irrationality, and subjective and psychological well-being measures. The exploratory (n = 207) and confirmatory factor analyses (n = 157) suggested that the IHB scale was unidimensional with three items demonstrating a good internal consistency reliability estimate. The IHB also showed significant positive correlations with measures of valuing happiness, negative affect, perceived stress and irrational thinking, and that significant negative correlations with measures of satisfaction with life, subjective happiness, positive affect, psychological well-being, and rational thinking. Additionally, the IHB scale was found to be discriminated from the valuing happiness measure. The results thus suggest that the IHB is a valid and reliable measure that can be used to assess one’s irrational happiness beliefs and that can readily be placed within wider psychology by contributing to individual well-being.