State-Trait Scales for Distinct Positive Emotions (STS-DPE)

Development and validation of these scales are reported in: Weidman, A. C., & Tracy, J. L. (2020). Picking up good vibrations: Uncovering the content of distinct positive emotion subjective experience. Emotion, 20(8), 1311–1331. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000677[PDF]

Emotion assessment tool:
Below is a set of scales for measuring traits and state experiences of distinct positive emotions

Instructions:
Below are a number of words and phrases that describe different feelings and emotions. Read each item and then indicate the extent to which you feel this way using the scale shown below:

Admiration:

1. I felt admiration
2. I felt a desire to become more like a specific person
3. I felt as if I could learn a lot from a specific person
4. I felt motivated to work harder
5. I had a great deal of respect toward a specific person
6. I strongly valued a specific person’s opinion

Awe:

1. I felt awe
2. I continued to think about what I just saw
3. I could not believe what I had just seen
4. I felt I was in the presence of something quite out of the ordinary
5. I felt wonder
6. I was rendered speechless
7. What I just saw was simply amazing

Gratitude:

1. I felt gratitude
2. I felt appreciative toward a specific person
3. I felt cared for
4. I felt fortunate
5. I felt like I had benefited from a specific person’s action
6. I felt lucky to know a specific person
7. I thought that a specific person who helped me should be acknowledged
8. I wanted to express thanks

Sympathy:

1. I felt sympathy
2. I felt bad for someone
3. I felt pity for someone
4. I felt sorry for someone
5. I thought that someone else’s situation seemed unfair
6. I worried that someone would not be okay
7. Someone else seemed vulnerable to me

Tenderness:

1. I felt tenderness
2. I felt a stronger connection with someone
3. I felt great care toward someone
4. I felt warmth for someone
5. I had a desire to be close to someone
6. I showed affection toward someone
7. I showed fondness toward someone
8. I wanted to hold someone’s hand

Empathy:

1. I felt empathy
2. I affirmed what someone else was feeling
3. I allowed someone to share his or her feelings with me
4. I listened carefully to what someone had to say
5. I reflected on a time I had experienced a similar situation
6. I tried to help find a solution to another’s problem
7. I tried to relate to another’s experience

Interest:

1. I felt interest
2. I felt engaged with what I was doing
3. I paid close attention to what I saw and heard
4. I wanted to seek out more information
5. I was curious about what I was seeing
6. I was focused
7. My attention was absorbed
8. My mind was very active

Hope:

1. I felt hope
2. I drew on my inner strength
3. I engaged in some wishful thinking
4. I felt challenged
5. I had a great desire for a certain outcome
6. I thought about the future
7. I tried to believe in myself
8. I tried to stay positive

Enthusiasm:

1. I felt enthusiasm
2. I felt adventurersome
3. I wanted to get others excited
4. I was eager
5. I was on top of the world

Schadenfreude:

1. I felt that justice had been served for someone else
2. I thought someone deserved what had happened to them
3. I thought that someone had brought something bad upon themselves
4. I thought that someone had it coming
5. I wanted to point out someone else’s shortcomings

Amusement:

1. I felt amusement
2. I giggled
3. I laughed
4. I was entertained
5. What I saw was funny

Contentment:

1. I felt happy
2. I felt content
3. I enjoyed the situation
4. I felt that all was right in the world
5. I wanted to stay in the moment

Nurturant love:

1. I felt dedication toward someone
2. I gave my full attention to someone
3. I showed support for someone
4. I tried to show patience with someone
5. I wanted to help someone grow
6. I wanted to sacrifice my own needs for someone
7. I wanted what was best for someone

Romantic love:

1. I could not stop thinking about someone
2. I belt butterflies in my stomach
3. I felt giddy
4. I felt vulnerable
5. I had a craving for someone
6. I longed for someone
7. I was afraid of rejection
8. The thought of someone was overwhelming

Attachment love:

1. I felt a close bond with someone
2. I felt accepted by someone
3. I felt like I could rely on someone
4. I felt like someone adored me
5. I felt secure
6. I felt that someone else was there for me
7. I trusted someone else