Positive Affectivity

PA Measures

PA is commonly measured using self-report questionnaires that require participants to rate various mood descriptors. Disagreement exists, however, regarding the subcomponents of PA, and this is evident in the discrepancies in content among PA measures. Consider, for example, the widely used Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Its PA scale contains 10 descriptors (e.g., enthusiastic, confident, and alert) that assess the PA subcomponents of Joviality, Self-Assurance, and Attentiveness. In contrast, the Profile of Mood States scale only assesses the Vigor subcomponent of PA (e.g., active, lively, and energetic). The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale contains four items measuring enjoyment, happiness, optimism, and self-esteem. The Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist-Revised divides positive mood into two subscales—Positive Affect (e.g., friendly, happy, and satisfied) and Sensation Seeking (e.g., active, daring, and enthusiastic).

In addition to self-report questionnaires, PA is also assessed using a number of other methods, including observer ratings, counts of positive emotional words in narratives or essays, and the coding of facial expressions (i.e., sincere or so-called “Duchenne” smiles).

Despite the diverse approaches in PA assessment, both self-report and non-self-report measures of PA evidence high convergent validity, suggesting that they are tapping the same construct. Nevertheless, it remains unknown how different PA assessment tools might impact studies of interpersonal relationships.

Related Constructs

PA is closely related to other positive psychology constructs and is sometimes considered equivalent to them. The most common of these is the Extraversion personality factor, which is strongly [Page 1265]correlated (r = .46) with the PANAS PA scale. Measures of subjective well-being and self-esteem are also closely related to PA. However, these measures do not directly assess pure PA, and they often contain a low NA component in addition to a high PA component.

Stability

Trait PA has been found to be remarkably stable across time, suggesting that people typically return to their individual baseline affect levels soon after the occurrence of significant life events. However, although PA is often studied as an enduring trait, it also can be measured and manipulated as a short-term state.

Frequency of Social Interactions

What are the implications of individual differences in trait PA for social relations? Anecdotal evidence suggests that people who experience frequent positive moods are viewed more favorably by others and are more likely to engage in social interactions than those with rare positive moods. This association between level of PA and frequency of social activity has, in fact, been demonstrated in several studies. For example, in one study, researchers tracked participants' daily moods and social activities over a 6- to 7-week period and found a significant correlation between PA and socializing.

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