Ambivalence over Emotional Expressiveness: psychometric evaluation of the AEQ-G18 in a representative German survey.
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.
Albani
Cornelia
C
Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Klinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatische Medizin, Leipzig, Deutschland.
Blaser
Gerd
G
Völker
Joachim
J
Geyer
Michael
M
Schmutzer
Gabriele
G
Bailer
Harald
H
Grulke
Norbert
N
Brähler
Elmar
E
Traue
Harald C
HC