Psychometric properties of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) original and short forms in an African American community sample.
BACKGROUND
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) has been widely used as a self-report measure of affect in community and clinical contexts. However, evaluations of the psychometric properties of PANAS scores have been limited in diverse ethnic groups. Several short forms of the PANAS have also been proposed, but very little is known about the psychometric properties of these versions.


METHODS
The present study investigated the psychometric properties, including the factor structure of the original PANAS and two short forms in an African American community sample (N=239). Descriptive, internal consistency reliability, factorial validity, and measurement invariance analyses were conducted.


RESULTS
All PANAS subscales from the original and short forms had adequate internal consistency. For the original PANAS, the model specifying three correlated factors (Positive Affect, Afraid, Upset) with correlated uniquenesses from redundant items provided the best fit to the data. However, the two-factor model (Positive Affect, Negative Affect) with correlated uniquenesses was also supported. For both short forms, the two-factor model with correlated uniquenesses fit the data best. Factors from all forms were generally invariant across age and gender, although there was some minor invariance at the item level.


CONCLUSIONS
Participants were from a limited geographic area and one ethnic group. Indicators of anxiety, depression, and cultural characteristics were not measured.


CONCLUSIONS
The factor structure was replicated, suggesting no immediate concerns regarding the valid interpretation of PANAS scores. The results support the reliability and validity of the PANAS and its short forms for use among African Americans.
SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120-4913, USA.
Erin L
EL
Merz
Vanessa L
VL
Malcarne
Scott C
SC
Roesch
Celine M
CM
Ko
Marc
M
Emerson
Vincenzo G
VG
Roma
Georgia Robins
GR
Sadler
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
African American; Confirmatory factor analysis; PANAS; Psychometrics; Short form