title: Ambivalence over Emotional Expressiveness: psychometric evaluation of the AEQ-G18 in a representative German survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study evaluates a questionnaire on ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, the AEQ-G18 [1], [2], with regard to its statistical parameters, the influence of socio-demographic variables, and its interrelationship with depression and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative German sample (1009 participants from East Germany and 1034 participants from West Germany) completed the AEQ-G18 [1], [2], the depression screener DEP-2 [3], the Profile of Mood States POMS [4], the revised Beck Depression Inventory BDI [5], the short form of the Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-9 [6] and the SF-36 health survey questionnaire [7].
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study was only partially able to confirm the two factors effect ambivalence and competence ambivalence postulated by Traue et al. [1], [2]. Women scored somewhat higher on the scale effect ambivalence. Participants with a higher educational background exhibited less emotional ambivalence. Emotional ambivalence correlated positively with depression and reduced psychological state of health (depression, fatigue, and anger), whereas it correlated negatively with health-related quality of life and positive attitude (vigor). In addition to the scales of the AEQ-G18, we developed a short form, the AEQ-G10, and provide normative data for the AEQ-G18 and the AEQ-G10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents normative data for two variations of a clinically relevant, valid, and time-efficient diagnostic instrument used for the evaluation of ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, the AEQ-G18 and its short form, the AEQ-G10.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Klinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatische Medizin, Leipzig, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albani
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Völker
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geyer
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmutzer
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bailer
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grulke
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler
authors.forename: Harald C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Traue