Helpful Resources
Learn more about each Emotion measure in the NIH Toolbox brochure>>
View a demonstration of a NIH Toolbox Emotion measure. Demo Video>>
Emotion Measures
NIH Toolbox® Emotion Batteries
The NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery, recommended for ages 8+, consists of measures of Positive Affect, General Life Satisfaction, Emotional Support, Friendship, Loneliness, Perceived Rejection, Perceived Hostility, Self-Efficacy, Sadness, Perceived Stress, Fear, and Anger. For ages 18+, the battery also includes measures of Meaning and Purpose and Instrumental Support.
The NIH Toolbox Parent Proxy Emotion Battery, recommended for parents of children ages 3-12, includes measures of Positive Affect, General Life Satisfaction, Positive Peer Interaction, Social Withdrawal, Peer Rejection, Empathic Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, Fear, Perceived Stress, Sadness, and Anger. For those with children ages 3-7, measures for Fear (Over Anxious and Separation Anxiety) are included.
NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery – Ages 18+
| Construct | Measure | Description | # of Items | Preview | Manual |
| Negative Affect | |||||
| Anger | Anger-Affect CAT Age 18+ | Attitudes of hostility and cynicism often associated with experiences of frustration impeding goal-directed behavior. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Anger-Hostility FF Age 18+ | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Anger-Physical Aggression FF Age 18+ | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Fear | Fear-Affect CAT Age 18+ | Symptoms of anxiety that reflect autonomic arousal and perceptions of threat. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Fear-Somatic Arousal FF Age 18+ | 6 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Sadness | Sadness CAT Age 18+ | 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. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Psychological Well-Being | |||||
| Positive Affect | Positive Affect CAT Age 18+ | Feelings that reflect a level of pleasurable engagement with the environment, such as happiness, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| General Life Satisfaction | General Life Satisfaction CAT Age 18+ | One’s cognitive evaluation of life experiences and whether one likes his/her life or not. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Meaning & Purpose | Meaning and Purpose CAT Age 18+ | The extent to which people feel their lives matter or make sense. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Meaning and Purpose FF Age 18+ | 7 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Stress & Self-Efficacy | |||||
| Perceived Stress | Perceived Stress FF Age 18+ | Individual perceptions about the nature of events and their relationship to the values and coping resources of an individual. | 10 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Self-Efficacy | Self-Efficacy CAT Age 18+ | A person’s belief in his/her capacity to manage functioning and have control over meaningful events. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Social Relationships | |||||
| Social Support | Emotional Support FF Age 18+ | The perception that people in one’s social network are available to listen to one’s problems with empathy, caring, and understanding. | 8 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Instrumental Support FF Age 18+ | The perception that people in one’s social network are available to provide material or functional aid in completing daily tasks, if needed. | 8 | Preview Measure | User Guide | |
| Companion-ship | Loneliness FF Age 18+ | Perceptions that one is alone, lonely, or socially isolated from others. | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Friendship FF Age 18+ | Perceptions of the availability of friends or companions with whom to interact or affiliate. | 8 | Preview Measure | User Guide | |
| Social Distress | Perceived Hostility FF Age 18+ | 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). | 8 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Perceived Rejection FF Age 18+ | 8 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
All Emotion measures take 1-2 minutes to complete. No additional materials are required.
CAT = Computer Adaptive Test
FF = Fixed Form
The NIH Toolbox Emotion measures were developed by a multi-institutional team of measurement experts as part of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research.
NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery – Ages 8-17 Self-Report
| Construct | Measure | Description | # of Items | Preview | Manual |
| Negative Affect | |||||
| Anger | Anger FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | Attitudes of hostility and cynicism often associated with experiences of frustration impeding goal-directed behavior. | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Fear | Fear FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | Symptoms of anxiety that reflect autonomic arousal and perceptions of threat. | 8 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Sadness | Sadness FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | 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. | 8 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Psychological Well-Being | |||||
| Emotion Control | Emotion Control FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | Refers to the ability to control the frequency and intensity of positive and negative emotions when they occur. | 10 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Positive Affect | Positive Affect CAT Ages 13-17 v2.0 | Feelings that reflect a level of pleasurable engagement with the environment, such as happiness, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Positive Affect FF Ages 13-17 v2.0 | 10 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Positive Affect FF Ages 8-12 v2.0 | 9 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Life Satisfaction | General Life Satisfaction CAT Ages 13-17 v2.0 | One’s cognitive evaluation of life experiences and whether one likes his/her life or not. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| General Life Satisfaction FF Ages 8-12 v2.0 | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Stress & Self-Efficacy | |||||
| Perceived Stress | Perceived Stress FF Ages 13-17 v2.0 | Individual perceptions about the nature of events and their relationship to the values and coping resources of an individual. | 10 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Self-Efficacy | Self-Efficacy CAT Ages 13-17 v2.0 | A person’s belief in his/her capacity to manage functioning and have control over meaningful events. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Self-Efficacy CAT Ages 8-12 v2.0 | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Social Relationships | |||||
| Social Support | Emotional Support FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | The perception that people in one’s social network are available to listen to one’s problems with empathy, caring, and understanding. | 7 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Companion-ship | Loneliness FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | Perceptions that one is alone, lonely, or socially isolated from others. | 7 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Friendship FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | Perceptions of the availability of friends or companions with whom to interact or affiliate. | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide | |
| Social Distress | Perceived Hostility FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | 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). | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Perceived Rejection FF Ages 8-17 v2.0 | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
All Emotion measures take 1-2 minutes to complete. No additional materials are required.
CAT = Computer Adaptive Test
FF = Fixed Form
The NIH Toolbox Emotion measures were developed by a multi-institutional team of measurement experts as part of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research.
NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery – Ages 8-12 Parent Report
| Construct | Measure | Definition | # of Items | Preview | Manual |
| Negative Affect | |||||
| Anger |
Anger Parent Report CAT Ages 8-12 v2.0 |
Attitudes of hostility and cynicism often associated with experiences of frustration impeding goal-directed behavior. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Fear |
Fear Parent Report CAT Ages 8-12 v2.0 |
Symptoms of anxiety that reflect autonomic arousal and perceptions of threat. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Sadness |
Sadness Parent Report CAT Ages 8-12 v2.0 |
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. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Psychological Well-Being | |||||
| Positive Affect |
Positive Affect Parent Report CAT Ages 8-12 v2.0 |
Feelings that reflect a level of pleasurable engagement with the environment, such as happiness, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Positive Affect Parent Report Fixed Form Ages 8-12 v2.0 | 9 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Emotion Control | Emotion Control Parent Report FF Ages 8-12 v2.0 | Refers to the ability to control the frequency and intensity of positive and negative emotions when they occur | 10 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| General Life Satisfaction |
General Life Satisfaction Parent Report FF Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
One’s cognitive evaluation of life experiences and whether one likes his/her life or not. | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
|
Stress & Self-Efficacy |
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|
Perceived Stress |
Perceived Stress Parent Report CAT Ages 8-12 v2.0 |
Perceptions about the nature of events and their relationship to the values and coping resources of an individual. |
CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
|
Self-Efficacy |
Self-Efficacy Parent Report CAT Ages 8-12 v2.0 |
A person’s belief in his/her capacity to manage functioning and have control over meaningful events. |
CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Social Relationships | |||||
| Companionship | Social Withdrawal Parent Report FF Ages 3-12 v2.0 | Perceptions that one is alone, lonely, or socially isolated from others. | 4 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
|
Positive Peer Interaction Parent Report FF Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
Perceptions of the availability of friends or companions with whom to interact or affiliate. | 4 | Preview Measure | User Guide | |
| Social Distress | Peer Rejection Parent Report FF Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
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). | 9 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Positive Social Development | Empathic Behaviors Parent Report CAT Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
Parent’s evaluation of their children’s empathic behaviors. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
All Emotion measures take 1-2 minutes to complete. No additional materials are required.
CAT = Computer Adaptive Test
FF = Fixed Form
The NIH Toolbox Emotion measures were developed by a multi-institutional team of measurement experts as part of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research.
NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery – Ages 3-7 Parent Report
| Construct | Measure | Definition | # of Items | Preview | Manual |
| Negative Affect | |||||
| Anger | Anger Parent Report FF Ages 3-7 v2.0 |
Attitudes of hostility and cynicism often associated with experiences of frustration impeding goal-directed behavior. | 9 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Fear | Fear-Over Anxious Parent Report FF Ages 3-7 v2.0 |
Symptoms of anxiety that reflect autonomic arousal and perceptions of threat. | 6 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Fear-Separation Anxiety Parent Report FF Ages 3-7 v2.0 |
7 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Sadness | Sadness Parent Report FF Ages 3-7 v2.0 |
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. | 7 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Psychological Well-Being | |||||
| Positive Affect | Positive Affect Parent Report CAT Ages 3-7 v2.0 |
Feelings that reflect a level of pleasurable engagement with the environment, such as happiness, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Positive Affect Parent Report FF Ages 3-7 v2.0 |
9 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| Positive Affect Parent Report FF Ages 8-12 v2.0 |
9 | Preview Measure | User Guide | ||
| General Life Satisfaction | General Life Satisfaction Parent Report FF Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
One’s cognitive evaluation of life experiences and whether one likes his/her life or not. | 5 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Social Relationships | |||||
| Companionship | Social Withdrawal Parent Report FF Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
Perceptions that one is alone, lonely, or socially isolated from others. | 4 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Positive Peer Interaction Parent Report FF Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
Perceptions of the availability of friends or companions with whom to interact or affiliate. | 4 | Preview Measure | User Guide | |
| Social Distress | Peer Rejection Parent Report FF Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
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). | 9 | Preview Measure | User Guide |
| Positive Social Development | Empathic Behaviors Parent Report CAT Ages 3-12 v2.0 |
Parent’s evaluation of their children’s empathic behaviors. | CAT | Preview Measure | User Guide |
All Emotion measures take 1-2 minutes to complete. No additional materials are required.
CAT = Computer Adaptive Test
FF = Fixed Form
The NIH Toolbox Emotion measures were developed by a multi-institutional team of measurement experts as part of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research.