Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) Test

This self-report measure is used to screen for reduced capacity to experience pleasure across common activities and sensory experiences. Developed by Max Hamilton and Rachael Snaith, the SHAPS test — short for the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale — assesses how much enjoyment a person typically derives from a range of everyday situations, including food, social interaction, hobbies, and sensory experiences. It consists of 14 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete.

Why Take a SHAPS Test

Anhedonia — the reduced ability to feel pleasure — is one of the core symptoms of depression, yet it's often harder to notice than low mood itself. Someone can go through the motions of daily life, eating meals, seeing friends, doing hobbies, without registering that these activities have quietly stopped feeling enjoyable. Because this shift is gradual, many people don't realize how much pleasure has flattened out until they compare their current experience to how things used to feel.

The Snaith-Hamilton pleasure scale was specifically designed to make this comparison explicit. Rather than vaguely asking "am I still enjoying life," this anhedonia test asks about specific, concrete situations — favorite foods, time with friends, small daily pleasures — and how much genuine enjoyment they currently produce. This specificity matters clinically, since anhedonia severity is closely tracked in the treatment of depression and other mood-related conditions, and changes in these scores often reflect real treatment progress.

This shaps scale is especially useful for people who've noticed a general sense of emotional flatness, or who are already in treatment and want a quick, repeatable way to check whether their capacity for pleasure is recovering.

What the Assessment Measures

The SHAPS test asks about typical enjoyment across several life domains:

• Social interaction — pleasure derived from spending time with friends, family, or being around other people
• Sensory experiences — enjoyment of food, favorite meals, and other physical or sensory pleasures
• Interest in usual activities — engagement with hobbies, entertainment, or activities that were previously enjoyable
• Emotional responsiveness — the capacity to feel positive emotional reactions to everyday, pleasant experiences

Total scores range from 0 to 14. Scores of 0–4 indicate low anhedonia (pleasure largely preserved), 5–9 moderate anhedonia, and 10–14 high anhedonia. Higher scores reflect reduced pleasure across the situations assessed and may warrant further evaluation.

Who This Assessment Is For

This SHAPS test is appropriate for anyone who notices they rarely feel enjoyment from activities, food, or social time and wants to check for signs of reduced pleasure. It is also widely used by clients and patients in therapy or treatment to track changes in pleasure and motivation during depression or other mood-related care, and by people who've had recent stress, burnout, or major life changes and want a quick snapshot of how their capacity for pleasure is holding up.

Clinical Validity and Use in Practice

The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale is a widely used, validated instrument for assessing hedonic tone and is commonly used as an adjunct to broader diagnostic evaluation rather than a stand-alone diagnostic tool. Responses from this SHAPS test provide a brief index of hedonic functioning that can support clinical assessment and research, particularly when monitoring symptoms associated with depressive and other mood-related conditions. Results should be interpreted alongside clinical history and other measures rather than in isolation.