Measurement Invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience Across 13 Countries

Evaluating the Structure of Subjective Well-Being: Evidence From Three Large-Scale, Long-Term, National Longitudinal Studies

To inform the tripartite structure of subjective well-being (SWB), national longitudinal studies from the United States, Germany, and Australia were used to estimate random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) in which between- and within-individual variation in life satisfaction (LS), positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) was examined over periods of up to two decades. The RI-CLPMs incorporated a hierarchical conceptualization in which LS, PA, and NA are indicators of a latent SWB factor and a causal systems conceptualization in which PA and NA are inputs to LS. Results from all three samples indicated substantial loadings from LS, PA, and NA on latent SWB factors between and within individuals. Cross-lagged effects were observed among all three SWB components, rather than unidirectional from PA and NA to LS. The present findings provide valuable new insights concerning the tripartite structure of SWB between and within individuals over extended periods of time.

Mindfulness and loneliness in retired older adults in China: mediation effects of positive and negative affect

Objectives: Drawing from the mindfulness framework and the broaden-and-build theory, this study investigates the extent to which mindfulness influences loneliness and whether the relation is mediated by positive and negative affect.Method: Data were collected from 748 retired older adults aged 60 and above in Chengdu, China in 2022. Loneliness and mindfulness were measured by the UCLA loneliness scale and by the short-form version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, while the positive and negative affect was assessed by the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule.Results: The results of this study show that mindfulness was positively associated with positive affect (β = 0.37, p<.001), negatively related to negative affect (β=-0.21, p<.001) and loneliness (β=-0.13, p<.001), and had an indirect effect on loneliness via positive and negative affect (β=-0.20, p<.001).Conclusion: The findings suggest that mindfulness could be a positive resource for improving mental health and reducing loneliness among retired older adults in China.

Supervision Effects on Negative Affect and Psychological Distress: Evidence from Social Workers in China

Supervision is an imperative practice within the social work field. It provides social workers with support systems, ensures that social workers are adhering to professional standards, and protects clients. Research has also shown that quality supervision can improve social workers' professional capacity and reduce work stress. However, most of this research has been confined to social workers' experiences within Western countries and has been largely qualitative in nature. Thus, this study aims to examine the experience of 489 social workers based in Guangzhou, China to understand how supervision affects their negative affect and psychological distress. The findings indicate that supervision not only reduces negative affect and psychological distress amongst Chinese social workers, but also is especially effective for social workers with high job demands. When job demands are high, social workers who receive both individual and group supervision also appear to have lower negative affect and psychological distress as compared to social workers who only receive individual supervision. These findings emphasize the significance of supervision as a buffer factor to reduce negative affect and psychological distress amongst Chinese social workers who face high job demands.

Comparability and reliability of the positive and negative affect scales in the European Social Survey

This study examined the measurement invariance of the positive and negative affect scales in the European Social Survey (ESS) in 2006 and 2012. We employed Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis with an estimator for ordinal data, allowing us to test threshold invariance, which had not been previously investigated for these scales. A 3-item measure of Positive Affect and a 5-item measure of Negative Affect showed that configural, threshold and metric (loading) and partial scalar (intercept) invariance held across almost all countries and between the two ESS Rounds. Our results provide cross-cultural validity to a broader measure of negative affect than past research using the ESS and examine these scales across more countries than any past study. Besides providing valuable insights for researchers interested in well-being and the ESS, our study also contributes to the ongoing discussion about diverging analytical choices in invariance testing.

Effects of Job Demands and Resources on Positive and Negative Affect of Delivery Drivers in China

The delivery workforce in China has grown substantially within the past decade. As this industry has grown, job demands (JD) have also increased to ensure productivity. Accordingly, delivery drivers are increasingly facing volatile and stressful work conditions that could influence their Positive and Negative Affect (PANA), which has been an important predictor of their health and well-being. This study utilizes a sample of modern delivery drivers in Beijing, China (n = 240) to study how the job demands-resources theory (JD-R) was related to PANA. The results indicate delivery drivers experience relatively high JD and moderate JR at their places of employment. As expected, JR were positively associated with PA and negatively associated with NA. Meanwhile, JD were positively related to NA; however, JD were also positively associated with PA within the sample. Further interaction analysis showed that only drivers with high JD and high JR were positively associated with PA and that drivers with high JD and low JR were associated with high NA and had no effect on PA. These findings call for support for Chinese delivery drivers who face high job stress and high job demands.

Cross-Cultural Measurement of Positive and Negative Emotions in Adolescence: Evidence from Three Countries

Cross-cultural assessment of affective well-being among adolescents has received scarce attention in positive psychological research. The present study investigated cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) among adolescents from three countries (India, Poland, and Serbia). The sample included a total of 1080 adolescents (53.6% female; M _age = 16.75, range = 15-19 years). Surveys were administered online in each country. Measurement invariance testing provided evidence for partial scalar invariance of the SPANE across cultures, with item "afraid" showing nonivariance across the three countries. Latent factor correlations between positive and negative emotions were stronger in Serbia compared to Poland and India. Positive emotions and life satisfaction had strong positive associations in all three countries (ranging from 0.68 to 0.75). The inverse correlations between negative emotions and life satisfaction were - 0.27, - 0.54, - 0.69 in India, Poland, and Serbia, respectively. Polish adolescents demonstrated the lowest levels of affective well-being, whereas Indian and Serbian adolescents did not differ substantially in levels of positive and negative emotions. The present study demonstrated that the SPANE is a reliable and useful tool for the assessment of positive and negative emotions among adolescents from different cultural settings.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-022-00521-6.

Validation And Measurement Invariance Of The Ukrainian Version Of The Scale Of Positive And Negative Experiences (SPANE)

Psychological well-being is determined from different positions in positive psychology, one of which is the concept of subjective well-being as a three-factor construct – global satisfaction with life, positive affect and negative affect. In this crossover study, the Ukrainian version of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences (SPANE) has been adapted Ukrainian population and validated as an improved diagnostic tool for emotional component of subjective well-being. The sample consisted of 458 Ukrainians aged from 18 to 55 years (Md = 19; 42,4% were men). The questionnaire has been translated using forward-backward method. Confirmatory factor analysis has been performed to estimate factorial structure of the questionnaire, reliability and measurement invariance. It has confirmed that a two-factor model in which a positive affect (SPANE-P) and a negative affect (SPANE-N) have a moderate negative correlation (r = -0,594) fits empirical data better than one-factor model, model with two uncorrelated factors and bifactor model. The composite reliability is 0,909 for SPANE-P and 0,861 for SPANE-N. The convergent validity has been determined by the average variance extracted index, which is 0,630 for SPANE-P and 0,533 for SPANE-N. Discriminatory validity, determined by the Furnell’s and Larker method and the Heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio of correlation, is satisfactory for both SPANE subscales. The measurement invariance for gender and age (early maturity and middle-aged) has been estimated. Measurement strong invariance has been confirmed that allows us to compare mean values of latent constructs across these groups. It has been found that women reports higher levels of negative affect than men. The results of the study showed that he Ukrainian version of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences (SPANE) has acceptable psychometric properties, shows measurement invariance for age and gender and can be used as effective tool for studying affective well-being of Ukrainians.

Job Demands and Resources, Positive and Negative Affect, and Psychological Distress of Social Workers in China

Globally, human service professionals, like social workers, experience significant job demands (JD) which can lead to outcomes like psychological distress, burnout, and high turnover rates. This is especially true in China, where the social work profession has grown substantially in recent decades. Because social workers play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable communities, there is a need to understand how their work conditions affect outcomes like psychological distress. This study applies the job demands and resources (JD-R) model to study this relation, along with the mediational effects of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), in social workers from Chengdu, China (n = 897). The results of structural equation modeling indicate that JD-R differentially affect psychological distress. PA and NA partially mediate these relations. Job resources (JR) reduced psychological distress by reducing NA and increasing PA. JD did not have any effect on PA but significantly increased NA, which was associated with higher psychological distress. The magnitudes of each estimate suggest that JR has a greater effect on PA and NA, relative to the effects of JD on PA and NA. Interventions that seek to promote PA and reduce NA may be able to work with existing JR to buffer against the effects of JD in social workers.