A Confirmatory Factor-Analytic Validation of the Tripartite Model of Depression and Anxiety Among Undergraduates in Spain

Abstract

The tripartite model of depression and anxiety proposes that low positive affect is a specific indicator of depression, whereas high physiological hyperarousal is a specific marker of anxiety. High negative affect, while common to both syndromes, is specific to neither. To test the validity of the tripartite model, we administered self-report scales on positive affect, negative affect, and physiological hyperarousal to 388 undergraduates in Spain. LISREL confirmatory factor analytic techniques were used. Consistent with the predictions of the tripartite view and with previous work on North American samples (e.g., Joiner, 1996), a three-factor model with Positive Affect, Physiological Hyperarousal, and Negative Affect as factors, provided the best fit for the observed data. These findings contribute to an emerging literature on the validity of the tripartite model, and, furthermore, are the first to indicate that the model and its implications may be applied cross-culturally.