Psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the original and the short form of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).

AIM

Psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the original and the short form of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were investigated in the present study.

METHODS

Participants were undergraduate university students (N=1163) and patients visiting their General Practitioners (GPs) for various somatic complaints (N=466).

RESULTS

According to the confirmatory factor analysis, both versions showed adequate fit to the theoretical one-and-one (positive and negative affect) factor model. Internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach-alpha values) were above .8 for the original positive and negative scales, .73 and .79 for the short positive scale, and .65 and .67 for the short negative scale in the student and the patient groups, respectively. The correlations between the original 10-item subscales and their 5-item counterparts were above .9 in both groups.

CONCLUSION

The short PANAS scale represents a good and practical alternative for the original version, with lower but still acceptable internal consistency values.