Measuring affect in daily life: A multilevel psychometric evaluation of the PANAS-X across four ecological momentary assessment samples

Psychol Assess. 2023 Jun;35(6):469-483. doi: 10.1037/pas0001231. Epub 2023 Mar 16.

Abstract

While there is strong evidence for the psychometric reliability of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form (PANAS-X) in cross-sectional studies, the between- and within-person psychometric performance of the PANAS-X in an intensive longitudinal framework is less understood. As affect is thought to be dynamic and responsive to context, this study investigated the multilevel reliability of PANAS-X Positive Affect, Negative Affect, Fear, Sadness, and Hostility scales. Generalizability theory and structural equation modeling techniques (coefficient ω) were employed in four ecological momentary assessment samples (N = 309; 41,261 reports). Results demonstrate that the PANAS-X scales, including short versions of the Positive and Negative Affect scales, can reliably detect between-person differences. PANAS-X scales also were able to reliably measure within-person change, though these estimates may be impacted by scale content and study design. These results support the use of the PANAS-X in daily life research to intensively measure affect in the natural environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Affect*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Ecological Momentary Assessment*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Humans
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results