Introduction
How I Feel (HIF) is a 30-item self-report measure that assesses emotional arousal and emotion control in elementary school-age children. It covers how often and how strongly children feel positive and negative emotions, and how well they can control them. Tedra A. Walden, Vicki S. Harris and Thomas F. Catron published it in 2003.
The HIF has received more than 170 citations. It was developed to help understand how emotional arousal and control together shape children's social-emotional adjustment. This guide explains its subscales, scoring and evidence.
Key Features of How I Feel (HIF)
Purpose and Use
The HIF is a multidimensional measure of children's emotional arousal and their ability to control it.
Target Population
The HIF is intended for children aged 8 to 12.
Structure
The HIF has 30 items in three subscales:
Subscale
What it covers
Items
Positive Emotion (PE)
Frequency and intensity of happiness and excitement
8
Negative Emotion (NE)
Frequency and intensity of sadness, fear and anger
12
Emotion Control (EC)
Control over the frequency and intensity of positive and negative emotions
10
Scoring Method
Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = not at all true of me, 2 = a little true of me, 3 = somewhat true of me, 4 = pretty true of me and 5 = very true of me.
Subscale scores: the average of the items in each subscale.No total score: no overall total score range or cut-off is reported.Interpreting scores: high PE scores mean happiness and excitement are felt often and strongly; high NE scores mean fear, anger and sadness are felt often and strongly; and high EC scores reflect a strong ability to control both.
Administration Format
The HIF is a child self-report questionnaire.
Applications of How I Feel (HIF)
The HIF supports several uses:
Child development research: studying emotional arousal and regulation.Social-emotional adjustment: examining how emotion and control relate to children's adjustment.School-based research: assessing emotions in elementary school pupils.Languages and availability
The HIF has been studied beyond the original sample:
Korean: Korean studyFurther validity evidence: Journal of School Health study (2016)The HIF is freely available, provided the original source is cited, the authors' copyright is acknowledged, and the questionnaire is used without modification, translation or adaptation. The original article is listed in APA PsycNet.
Reliability and Validity
The original development study showed high internal consistency across four assessment occasions:
Positive Emotion: Cronbach's alpha 0.86 to 0.89Negative Emotion: 0.87 to 0.90Emotion Control: 0.84 to 0.86It also supported a three-factor structure and provided evidence of concurrent validity and moderate temporal stability.
Validation studies:
How I Feel: a self-report measure of emotional arousal and regulation for children (2003): study linkEmotional arousal and regulation: further evidence of the validity of the HIF (2016): study linkLimitations and Considerations
Keep these points in mind:
Age range: validation was conducted in school-age children.Self-report only: the authors noted that physiological aspects of emotion and objective behavioral observations are not directly assessed.Use conditions: the questionnaire should not be modified, translated or adapted without permission.No cut-offs: no total score or cut-off interpretation is reported.Other Versions And Related Questionnaires
These questionnaires are related:
Emotional Intensity Scale for ChildrenPositive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C)Child Self-Control Rating Scale (CSCRS)Affect Expression Rating Scale for Children (AERS)Additional Resources
The original article: linkThe HIF in the Education Endowment Foundation measures database: linkFor inquiries, contact Tedra A. Walden, Vanderbilt University, at tedra.walden@vanderbilt.edu.Browse more pediatrics questionnaires in the ResRef database.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does How I Feel measure?The HIF measures how often and how strongly children feel positive emotions (happiness, excitement) and negative emotions (sadness, fear, anger), and how well they can control these emotions.
How is the HIF scored?Each of the 30 items is rated from 1 (not at all true of me) to 5 (very true of me). Positive Emotion, Negative Emotion and Emotion Control scores are the averages of their items.
What age is the HIF for?The HIF is intended for elementary school-age children aged 8 to 12, who complete it themselves as a self-report questionnaire.
Is the How I Feel questionnaire free?Yes. It is freely available if you cite the original source, acknowledge the authors' copyright and use the questionnaire without modification, translation or adaptation.
A Word from ResRef About How I Feel (HIF)
The HIF is a 30-item child self-report measure designed to assess positive and negative emotional arousal and control in elementary school-age children. The original development study demonstrated high internal consistency, supported a three-factor structure, and provided evidence of concurrent validity and moderate temporal stability. Its primary limitation is that the validation was conducted in school-age children, and the authors noted that physiological aspects of emotionality and objective behavioral observations are not directly assessed.
References
Walden, T. A., Harris, V. S., & Catron, T. F. (2003). How I feel: a self-report measure of emotional arousal and regulation for children. Psychological Assessment, 15(3), 399–412. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.15.3.399Ciucci, E., Baroncelli, A., Grazzani, I., Ornaghi, V., & Caprin, C. (2016). Emotional Arousal and Regulation: Further Evidence of the Validity of the “How I Feel” Questionnaire for Use With School‐Age Children. Journal of School Health, 86(3), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12370