Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is It Used For?Questions and ScoringInterpreting ResultsAccuracyFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is It Used For?
Questions and Scoring
Interpreting Results
Accuracy
Frequently Asked Questions
The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) is the gold standard for measuringanhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure.
Your inability to experience pleasure often manifests as a loss of interest in doing daily activities or hobbies you used to enjoy. The SHAPS test measures your ability to experience pleasure or the severity of youranhedoniabased on what is calledhedonictone. Someone with a high SHAPS score would also have low hedonic tone, or reduced ability to feel pleasure.
This article provides an overview of the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale and explains how the 0–14 SHAPS scoring system works, details how results are interpreted, and more.
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What Is the SHAPS Used For?
High hedonic tone suggests that someone has a robust capacity to feel pleasure. On the flip side, low hedonic tone indicates that someone has a reduced ability to experience pleasure and is prone to anhedonia.
Anhedonia is a hallmark of clinical depression. In addition to people withmajor depressive disorder(MDD) experiencing anhedonia, people withsubstance use disorder,bipolar disorder,schizophrenia, and other mental health concerns often lose their ability to feel pleasure.
In people who have lost interest in activities they once found enjoyable for whatever reason, the 14-item SHAPS questionnaire is used to quantify anhedonia severity according to hedonic tone.
What Is Anhedonia?Anhedonia is the inability to experience pleasure in day-to-day life or a loss of the ability to derive pleasure from something once found pleasurable.
What Is Anhedonia?
Anhedonia is the inability to experience pleasure in day-to-day life or a loss of the ability to derive pleasure from something once found pleasurable.
SHAPS Questions and Scoring
The SHAPS questionnaire consists of 14 prompts that ask respondents to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with statements related to experiencing pleasure over the last few days. Questions on the SHAPS test are divided into four categories:
At the outset, respondents are informed that the SHAPS questionnaire is designed to measure their ability to experience pleasure in the last few days. Then, they’re asked to indicate if they agree, strongly agree, disagree, or strongly disagreewith each statement.
SHAPS scoring is based on assigning 1 pointto each time someone disagrees or strongly disagrees with a statement and 0 points if someone agrees or strongly agrees. When scoring the SHAPS test, no distinction is made between how strongly someone agrees or disagrees with a question.
SHAPS scores range from 0 to 14. Because respondents are given 1 point each time they disagree or strongly disagree with a statement, if they express disagreement 9 times, their SHAPS score would be 9. However, if someone agreed or strongly agreed with every statement, their score would be 0. Lower SHAPS scores indicate higher levels of hedonic capacity or a lower level of anhedonia, and vice versa.
Hedonic Tone: Other Tests & ScalesSince the 1950s, food scientists have used a 9-point hedonic scale for measuring people’s food preferences.Hedonic tone on this scale is ranked from “extremely dislike” to “extremely like” with “neither like or dislike” falling in the middle.
Hedonic Tone: Other Tests & Scales
Since the 1950s, food scientists have used a 9-point hedonic scale for measuring people’s food preferences.Hedonic tone on this scale is ranked from “extremely dislike” to “extremely like” with “neither like or dislike” falling in the middle.
The cutoff point between normal hedonic tone and anhedonia is between 2 and 3 points. For example, if someone only disagrees with 2 statements, their SHAPS score would be two and considered “normal.”
If someone disagrees with three statements, their SHAPS score would be a 3, which represents lower hedonic tone and mild anhedonia. A score of 14 would represent extremely low hedonic tone and severe anhedonia.
SHAPS is considered an accurate and reliable instrument for assessing hedonic capacity and anhedonia. Evidence-based research shows that the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale is a consistent and reliable instrument for measuring anhedonia in clinical patients (those seen in a clinic setting) and nonclinical individuals.
Summary
The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale is the gold standard for assessing anhedonia based on respondents' “hedonic capacity” for experiencing pleasure. The 14-item SHAPS test is divided into four categories: interests/pastimes, social interactions, sensory experiences, and food/drink.
People who are able to experience lots of pleasure in their daily lives have low SHAPS scores and high hedonic tone. On the flip side, higher SHAPS scores indicate a reduced ability to experience pleasure and low hedonic tone.
A Word From Verywell
Losing your ability to feel pleasure can make day-to-day life seem like a joyless experience. If you’ve lost interest in hobbies you once loved or no longer derive pleasure from the simple things in life like watching a sunset or the smell of fresh-baked bread, a SHAPS test is the best way to measure the severity of your anhedonia.
The inability to experience pleasure often goes hand in hand with depression and other mental health issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorder. Regardless of what’s causing your loss of ability to experience pleasure, let someone know and speak to a healthcare provider about your reduced hedonic capacity.
Frequently Asked QuestionsHedonic tone, also known as hedonic capacity, is an index used to measure someone’s ability to experience pleasure. Low hedonic tone reflects a reduced capacity to feel pleasure, which often goes hand in hand withanhedonia. On the flip side, high hedonic tone means that someone has a robust capacity for experiencing pleasure.Anhedonia is the inability or lessened ability to experience pleasure. Anhedonia can be assessed as part of a mental health evaluation or objectively measured. Using questionnaires like the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) that assess someone’s ability to feel pleasure. The 14-item SHAPS test is easy to administer and is considered the gold standard for measuring anhedonia.Learn MoreWhat Is Anhedonia?SHAPS is a 14-item questionnaire that measures someone’s capacity to experience pleasure. Each question is scored with 1 point if the respondent disagrees with a statement (e.g., “In the last few days, I would be able to enjoy a beautiful landscape or view.") or 0 points if they agree. Final scores range from 0-14. Scoring 2 or less is considered a “normal” SHAPS scoreScoring 3 points or more implies that the respondent has trouble experiencing pleasure and is prone to anhedonia.
Hedonic tone, also known as hedonic capacity, is an index used to measure someone’s ability to experience pleasure. Low hedonic tone reflects a reduced capacity to feel pleasure, which often goes hand in hand withanhedonia. On the flip side, high hedonic tone means that someone has a robust capacity for experiencing pleasure.
Anhedonia is the inability or lessened ability to experience pleasure. Anhedonia can be assessed as part of a mental health evaluation or objectively measured. Using questionnaires like the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) that assess someone’s ability to feel pleasure. The 14-item SHAPS test is easy to administer and is considered the gold standard for measuring anhedonia.Learn MoreWhat Is Anhedonia?
Anhedonia is the inability or lessened ability to experience pleasure. Anhedonia can be assessed as part of a mental health evaluation or objectively measured. Using questionnaires like the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) that assess someone’s ability to feel pleasure. The 14-item SHAPS test is easy to administer and is considered the gold standard for measuring anhedonia.
Learn MoreWhat Is Anhedonia?
SHAPS is a 14-item questionnaire that measures someone’s capacity to experience pleasure. Each question is scored with 1 point if the respondent disagrees with a statement (e.g., “In the last few days, I would be able to enjoy a beautiful landscape or view.") or 0 points if they agree. Final scores range from 0-14. Scoring 2 or less is considered a “normal” SHAPS scoreScoring 3 points or more implies that the respondent has trouble experiencing pleasure and is prone to anhedonia.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Langvik E, Borgen Austad S.Psychometric properties of the snaith–hamilton pleasure scale and a facet-level analysis of the relationship between anhedonia and extraversion in a nonclinical sample.Psychol Rep. 2019;122(1):360-375. doi:10.1177/0033294118756336Ameli R, Luckenbaugh DA, Gould NF, et al.SHAPS-C: the Snaith-Hamilton pleasure scale modified for clinician administration.PeerJ. 2014;2:e429. doi:10.7717/peerj.429Snaith RP, Hamilton M, Morley S, Humayan A, Hargreaves D, Trigwell P.A scale for the assessment of hedonic tone the snaith–hamilton pleasure scale.Br J Psychiatry. 1995;167(1):99-103. doi:10.1192/bjp.167.1.99Lodzinski A ST.Hedonic tone: a bridge between the psychobiology of depression and its comorbidities.J Depress Anxiety. 2014;03(01). doi:10.4172/2167-1044.1000147Trøstheim M, Eikemo M, Meir R, et al.Assessment of Anhedonia in Adults With and Without Mental Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Aug 3;3(8):e2013233. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.13233Liu W hua, Wang L zhi, Zhu Y hua, Li M hui, Chan RC.Clinical utility of the snaith-hamilton-pleasure scale in the chinese settings.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-184PhenX Toolkit.Protocol - Hedonic Tone or Response to Pleasurable Situations.Snaith P.Anhedonia: a neglected symptom of psychopathology.Psychol Med. 1993;23(4):957-966. doi:10.1017/S0033291700026428Wichchukit S, O’Mahony M.The 9-point hedonic scale and hedonic ranking in food science: some reappraisals and alternatives: The 9-point hedonic scale in food science.J Sci Food Agric. 2015;95(11):2167-2178. doi:10.1002/jsfa.6993Liu W hua, Wang L zhi, Zhu Y hua, Li M hui, Chan RC.Clinical utility of the snaith-hamilton-pleasure scale in the chinese settings.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-184Sternat T, Katzman MA.Neurobiology of hedonic tone: the relationship between treatment-resistant depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016;12:2149-2164. doi:10.2147/NDT.S111818NIH.Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Langvik E, Borgen Austad S.Psychometric properties of the snaith–hamilton pleasure scale and a facet-level analysis of the relationship between anhedonia and extraversion in a nonclinical sample.Psychol Rep. 2019;122(1):360-375. doi:10.1177/0033294118756336Ameli R, Luckenbaugh DA, Gould NF, et al.SHAPS-C: the Snaith-Hamilton pleasure scale modified for clinician administration.PeerJ. 2014;2:e429. doi:10.7717/peerj.429Snaith RP, Hamilton M, Morley S, Humayan A, Hargreaves D, Trigwell P.A scale for the assessment of hedonic tone the snaith–hamilton pleasure scale.Br J Psychiatry. 1995;167(1):99-103. doi:10.1192/bjp.167.1.99Lodzinski A ST.Hedonic tone: a bridge between the psychobiology of depression and its comorbidities.J Depress Anxiety. 2014;03(01). doi:10.4172/2167-1044.1000147Trøstheim M, Eikemo M, Meir R, et al.Assessment of Anhedonia in Adults With and Without Mental Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Aug 3;3(8):e2013233. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.13233Liu W hua, Wang L zhi, Zhu Y hua, Li M hui, Chan RC.Clinical utility of the snaith-hamilton-pleasure scale in the chinese settings.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-184PhenX Toolkit.Protocol - Hedonic Tone or Response to Pleasurable Situations.Snaith P.Anhedonia: a neglected symptom of psychopathology.Psychol Med. 1993;23(4):957-966. doi:10.1017/S0033291700026428Wichchukit S, O’Mahony M.The 9-point hedonic scale and hedonic ranking in food science: some reappraisals and alternatives: The 9-point hedonic scale in food science.J Sci Food Agric. 2015;95(11):2167-2178. doi:10.1002/jsfa.6993Liu W hua, Wang L zhi, Zhu Y hua, Li M hui, Chan RC.Clinical utility of the snaith-hamilton-pleasure scale in the chinese settings.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-184Sternat T, Katzman MA.Neurobiology of hedonic tone: the relationship between treatment-resistant depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016;12:2149-2164. doi:10.2147/NDT.S111818NIH.Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Langvik E, Borgen Austad S.Psychometric properties of the snaith–hamilton pleasure scale and a facet-level analysis of the relationship between anhedonia and extraversion in a nonclinical sample.Psychol Rep. 2019;122(1):360-375. doi:10.1177/0033294118756336Ameli R, Luckenbaugh DA, Gould NF, et al.SHAPS-C: the Snaith-Hamilton pleasure scale modified for clinician administration.PeerJ. 2014;2:e429. doi:10.7717/peerj.429Snaith RP, Hamilton M, Morley S, Humayan A, Hargreaves D, Trigwell P.A scale for the assessment of hedonic tone the snaith–hamilton pleasure scale.Br J Psychiatry. 1995;167(1):99-103. doi:10.1192/bjp.167.1.99Lodzinski A ST.Hedonic tone: a bridge between the psychobiology of depression and its comorbidities.J Depress Anxiety. 2014;03(01). doi:10.4172/2167-1044.1000147Trøstheim M, Eikemo M, Meir R, et al.Assessment of Anhedonia in Adults With and Without Mental Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Aug 3;3(8):e2013233. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.13233Liu W hua, Wang L zhi, Zhu Y hua, Li M hui, Chan RC.Clinical utility of the snaith-hamilton-pleasure scale in the chinese settings.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-184PhenX Toolkit.Protocol - Hedonic Tone or Response to Pleasurable Situations.Snaith P.Anhedonia: a neglected symptom of psychopathology.Psychol Med. 1993;23(4):957-966. doi:10.1017/S0033291700026428Wichchukit S, O’Mahony M.The 9-point hedonic scale and hedonic ranking in food science: some reappraisals and alternatives: The 9-point hedonic scale in food science.J Sci Food Agric. 2015;95(11):2167-2178. doi:10.1002/jsfa.6993Liu W hua, Wang L zhi, Zhu Y hua, Li M hui, Chan RC.Clinical utility of the snaith-hamilton-pleasure scale in the chinese settings.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-184Sternat T, Katzman MA.Neurobiology of hedonic tone: the relationship between treatment-resistant depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016;12:2149-2164. doi:10.2147/NDT.S111818NIH.Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale.
Langvik E, Borgen Austad S.Psychometric properties of the snaith–hamilton pleasure scale and a facet-level analysis of the relationship between anhedonia and extraversion in a nonclinical sample.Psychol Rep. 2019;122(1):360-375. doi:10.1177/0033294118756336
Ameli R, Luckenbaugh DA, Gould NF, et al.SHAPS-C: the Snaith-Hamilton pleasure scale modified for clinician administration.PeerJ. 2014;2:e429. doi:10.7717/peerj.429
Snaith RP, Hamilton M, Morley S, Humayan A, Hargreaves D, Trigwell P.A scale for the assessment of hedonic tone the snaith–hamilton pleasure scale.Br J Psychiatry. 1995;167(1):99-103. doi:10.1192/bjp.167.1.99
Lodzinski A ST.Hedonic tone: a bridge between the psychobiology of depression and its comorbidities.J Depress Anxiety. 2014;03(01). doi:10.4172/2167-1044.1000147
Trøstheim M, Eikemo M, Meir R, et al.Assessment of Anhedonia in Adults With and Without Mental Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Aug 3;3(8):e2013233. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.13233
Liu W hua, Wang L zhi, Zhu Y hua, Li M hui, Chan RC.Clinical utility of the snaith-hamilton-pleasure scale in the chinese settings.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-184
PhenX Toolkit.Protocol - Hedonic Tone or Response to Pleasurable Situations.
Snaith P.Anhedonia: a neglected symptom of psychopathology.Psychol Med. 1993;23(4):957-966. doi:10.1017/S0033291700026428
Wichchukit S, O’Mahony M.The 9-point hedonic scale and hedonic ranking in food science: some reappraisals and alternatives: The 9-point hedonic scale in food science.J Sci Food Agric. 2015;95(11):2167-2178. doi:10.1002/jsfa.6993
Sternat T, Katzman MA.Neurobiology of hedonic tone: the relationship between treatment-resistant depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016;12:2149-2164. doi:10.2147/NDT.S111818
NIH.Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale.
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