Description

The Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C) is a psychometric instrument designed to assess positive and negative emotional experiences in children and adolescents. It measures two distinct dimensions of affect, providing insight into the frequency and intensity of positive and negative mood states.

Purpose and Structure

The PANAS-C was adapted from the original PANAS developed by Watson, Clark, and Tellegen. It evaluates two dimensions: Positive Affect (PA), including emotions such as enthusiasm, alertness, and happiness, and Negative Affect (NA), including emotions such as fear, anger, and sadness.

Scoring and Data Analysis

Positive and Negative Affect are scored separately. Responses are typically provided on a 5-point Likert scale, and item scores are summed within each dimension. Higher PA scores indicate greater positive affect, whereas higher NA scores indicate greater negative affect.

Psychometric analysis may include factor analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity.

References

Laurent J, Catanzaro SJ, Joiner TE, et al. A measure of positive and negative affect for children: Scale development and preliminary validation. Psychological Assessment. 1999;11(3):326–338.

Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1988;54(6):1063–1070.

Tags: PANAS-C, Positive Affect, Negative Affect, Children, Adolescents, Emotional States, Psychometric Assessment