Development of A Multi-factorial Fear of Happiness Scale for Young Adults

Authors

  • Leonora Kyla Uy Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UM Digos College, Philippines
  • Hannah Dela Pena Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UM Digos College, Philippines
  • Claudine Jade Abellana Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UM Digos College, Philippines
  • Honie Mae Matutis Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UM Digos College, Philippines
  • Eden Grace Laurente Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UM Digos College, Philippines
  • Marc Loyd Dumanhog Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UM Digos College, Philippines
  • Mayumi Castanos Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UM Digos College, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54536/ajhp.v3i1.4317

Keywords:

Exploratory Factor Analysis, Fear of Happiness, Young Adults

Abstract

This study developed and tested the Fear of Happiness Scale for Young Adults (FHS-YA) to understand how young adults aged 18–26 experience fear of happiness. A total of 501 respondents from Davao del Sur, Philippines completed the survey. The data was analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and methods like Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) were used due to the non-normal data distribution. Four key factors were identified: Social and Emotional Avoidance (SEA), Future-Oriented Anxiety or Guilt (FOAG), Cognitive Distortion (CD), and Emotional Discomfort (ED). The scale showed excellent reliability with a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.975. This alternative tool provides a reliable way to explore fear of happiness in young adults and can help guide future research and interventions aimed at improving emotional well-being.

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Published

2025-03-22

How to Cite

Uy, L. K., Dela Pena, H., Abellana, C. J., Matutis, H. M., Laurente, E. G., Dumanhog, M. L., & Castanos, M. (2025). Development of A Multi-factorial Fear of Happiness Scale for Young Adults. American Journal of Human Psychology, 3(1), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajhp.v3i1.4317