Scale Analysis

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedules (PANAS) were developed by Watson, Clark, and Tellegen in 1988 as mood scales for assessing positive and negative affects in individuals.

Purpose

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a psychometric tool used to measure the two main dimensions of emotional experience: positive affect and negative affect.

Item Calibration

The PANAS scale consists of 20 items (10 for positive affect and 10 for negative affect). Specifically, each scale includes a list of ten emotions:
In the Positive Affect scale (PANAS PA), the emotions are: enthusiastic, active, determined, alert, interested, joyful, strong, proud, attentive, and inspired.
In the Negative Affect scale (PANAS NA), the emotions are: afraid, upset, distressed, guilty, nervous, scared, jittery, tired, irritable, and ashamed.
Each scale is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1 to 5), depending on the intensity with which the individual experienced the given emotions.

Statistical Analysis

The scores for the positive and negative affect subscales are calculated separately by summing the ratings for each set of items. Higher scores indicate higher levels of the corresponding emotional dimension.

Validity and Reliability

The Cronbach’s alpha for the PANAS subscales is typically above 0.80, indicating high internal consistency. In addition, test-retest reliability has been demonstrated through high correlations between scores at different time points.

References

Watson, D., Clark, L.A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063–1070.
Crawford, J.R., & Henry, J.D. (2004). The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS): Construct validity, measurement properties and normative data in a large nonclinical sample. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43(3), 245–265.