Cantril ladder

noun

A poll inquiring a respondent to express their level of happiness in their lives in terms of their perceived position on a ladder, where their worst possible life scores zero and their best possible life scores ten.

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Meanings

nounCantril ladder (plural Cantril ladders)

plural Cantril ladders

  1. human sciencesA poll inquiring a respondent to express their level of happiness in their lives in terms of their perceived position on a ladder, where their worst possible life scores zero and their best possible life scores ten.

Origin

Devised by American psychologist Albert Hadley Cantril, Jr. (1906–1969).

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Cite this entry
APA

Cantril ladder. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cantril%20ladder

MLA

“Cantril ladder.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cantril%20ladder. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cantril ladder,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cantril%20ladder.

Source: Cantril ladder on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.