A short form of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule: evaluation of factorial validity and invariance across demographic variables in a community sample

The existence of two nearly-orthogonal dimensions of positive and negative affect was established for a ten-item short form of the Positive and Negati ve Affect Schedule using confirmatory factor analytic techniques in a large probability sample (n = 2651) spanning ages 18 to 79. The factor structure and factor correlations were found to be unchanged with age. A multiple in dicators, multiple causes model was used to investigate differences in item responses according to age, sex, education, marital status and financial h ardship that could not be accounted for by differences in affect levels bet ween groups. Only one item, 'excited' from the Positive Affect scale, was f ound to elicit differential responses. While improvements to the Positive A ffect scale might be desirable, the Short PANAS can be recommended for use when measures of positive and negative affect are required. (C) 1999 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.