List of Pediatric Emotion Measures
Available NIH Toolbox® Emotion Measures for Pediatric (Ages 8-17) Self-Report
| Pediatric Domains | Definition | CAT (# items in bank) |
Fixed Form (# items) |
| Negative Affect | |||
| Anger | Attitudes of hostility and cynicism often associated with experiences of frustration impeding goal-directed behavior. | (9) | |
| Fear/Anxiety | Symptoms of anxiety that reflect autonomic arousal and perceptions of threat. | ♦ (15) |
|
|
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. | ♦ (14) |
|
| Psychological Well-Being | |||
| Positive Affect | Feelings that reflect a level of pleasurable engagement with the environment, such as happiness, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment. |
Ages 8-12: Ages 13-17: |
|
| Life Satisfaction | One’s cognitive evaluation of life experiences and whether one likes his/her life or not. | Ages 13-17: ♦ (10) |
Ages 8-12: (5) |
| Stress & Self-Efficacy | |||
| Perceived Stress | Individual perceptions about the nature of events and their relationship to the values and coping resources of an individual. | Ages 13-17: ♦ (10) |
|
| Self-Efficacy | A person’s belief in his/her capacity to manage functioning and have control over meaningful events. |
Ages 8-12: Ages 13-17: |
|
| 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. | ♦ (7) |
|
| Friendship | Perceptions of the availability of friends or companions with whom to interact or affiliate. | ♦ (5) |
|
| Loneliness | Perceptions of being alone, lonely, or socially isolated from others. | (7) | |
| 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: Perceived Rejection: |
|
Table last updated on 10/07/2025
NIH Toolbox Pediatric Emotion Battery
- A set of measures that can be administered within the NIH Toolbox iPad app
- Completed in about 30 minutes
- For child (ages 8-17) self-report
- Measures of Positive Affect, General Life Satisfaction, Emotional Support, Friendship, Loneliness, Perceived Rejection, Perceived Hostility, Self-Efficacy, Sadness, Perceived Stress, Fear, and Anger.
Last updated on 3/4/2024