A randomized placebo-controlled trial of positive psychology interventions in Australia

In our study we attempted a partial replication of the study of Seligman, Steen, Park, and Peterson (2005) which had suggested that the web-based delivery of positive psychology exercises could, as the consequence of containing specific, powerful therapeutic ingredients, effect greater increases in happiness and greater reductions in depression than could a placebo control.Participants (n=295) were randomly allocated to one of four intervention groups referred to, in accordance with the terminology in Seligman et al. (2005) as 1: Using Signature Strengths; 2: Three Good Things; 3: Gratitude Visit; 4: Early Memories (placebo control).At the commencement of the study, participants provided basic demongraphic information (age, sex, education, income) in addition to completing a pretest on the Authentic Happiness Inventory (AHI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. Participants were asked to complete intervention-related activities during the week following the pretest. Futher measurements were then made on the AHI and CESD immediately after the intervention period ('posttest') and then 1 month after the posttest (day 38), 3 months after the posttest (day 98), and 6 months after the posttest (day 189). Participants were not able to to complete a follow-up questionnaire <i>prior </i>to the time that it was due but might have completed at either at the time that it was due, or later. We recorded the date and time at which follow-up questionnaires were completed.<br>The dataset includes a code book (in PDF 1.5 and plain-text), two data files, a copy of the media-release that was used to announce the study, and a copy of all instructions given to participants. The file participant-info.csv contains basic demographic information about participants. The file ahi-cesd.csv contains scores for each item of the CES-D scale and each item of the AHI scale for all completed measurement occasions. Not all participants completed measurements on all occasions.<br>Refer to the data article in Journal of Open Psychology Data at DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/jopd.35 for further details.<br>