List of Adult Emotion Measures
Available NIH Toolbox® Emotion Measures for Adult (Ages 18+) Self-Report
| Adult Domains | Definition |
CAT |
Fixed Form (# items) |
| Negative Affect | |||
| Anger | Attitudes of hostility and cynicism often associated with experiences of frustration impeding goal-directed behavior | ♦ (22) |
Anger/Hostility: Anger/Physical Aggression: |
| Apathy | Deficits in goal-oriented behavior and decrements in goal-related thought. | (7) | |
| Fear/Anxiety | Symptoms of anxiety that reflect autonomic arousal and perceptions of threat. | Fear/Anxiety: ♦ (29) |
Fear/Somatic Arousal: (6) |
| Sadness/Depression | Low levels of positive affect; comprised of symptoms that are primarily affective (poor mood) and cognitive (negative perceptions of self, the world, and the future) indicators of depression. | ♦ (28) |
|
| Psychological Well-Being | |||
| Positive Affect | Feelings that reflect a level of pleasurable engagement with the environment, such as happiness, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment. | ♦ (34) |
|
| General Life Satisfaction | One’s cognitive evaluation of life experiences and whether one likes his/her life or not. | ♦ (10) |
|
| Meaning & Purpose | The extent to which people feel their lives matter or make sense. | ♦ (37) |
|
| Stress & Self-Efficacy | |||
| Perceived Stress | Individual perceptions about the nature of events and their relationship to the values and coping resources of an individual. | (10) | |
| Self-Efficacy | A person’s belief in his/her capacity to manage functioning and have control over meaningful events. | ♦ (10) |
|
| Social Relationships | |||
| Emotional Support | The perception that people in one’s social network are available to listen to one’s problems with empathy, caring, and understanding. | ♦ (8) |
|
| Instrumental Support | The perception that people in one’s social network are available to provide material or functional aid in completing daily tasks, if needed. | ♦ (8) |
|
| Loneliness | Perceptions that one is alone, lonely, or socially isolated from others. | (5) | |
| Friendship | Perceptions of the availability of friends or companions with whom to interact or affiliate. | ♦ (8) |
|
| Social Distress | The extent to which an individual perceives his/her daily social interactions as negative or distressing. This can include aspects of perceived hostility (e.g., how often people argue with me, yell at me, or criticize me) and perceived insensitivity (e.g., how often people don’t listen when I ask for help, or don’t pay attention to me). | Perceived Hostility: ♦ (8) Perceived Rejection: ♦ (8) |
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♦ Measure is derived from a calibrated item bank.
Table last updated on 7/25/2025
NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery
- A set of measures that can be administered within the NIH Toolbox iPad app
- Completed in about 30 minutes
- For adult (age 18+) self-report
- Measures of Positive Affect, General Life Satisfaction, Meaning and Purpose, Companionship, Social Support, Social Distress, Perceived Stress, Self-Efficacy, Sadness, Fear, and Anger
Additional NIH Toolbox® Measures for Adult (Ages 18+) Self-Report
| Adult Domains | Definition | CAT (# items in bank) |
Fixed Form (# items) |
| Sensation | |||
| Pain Intensity | How much a person hurts on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable), assessed in the past 7 days. | (1) | |
| Pain Interference | The extent to which pain has interfered with or affected enjoyment of various activities, assessed in the past 7 days. |
♦ |
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Table last updated on 7/25/2025
Last updated on 7/25/2025