A Multi-Occasion Multi-Rater Model of Affective Dispositions and Affective Well-Being

Abstract

Personality theories assume that affective dispositions have a strong influence on affective experience and well-being, produce cross-situational consistency, and that positive and negative experiences are influenced by separate dispositions. These assumptions were tested using multi-method data. 97 married couples completed self and informant ratings of affective dispositions, a 14-day experience sampling study, and ret- rospective self and informant ratings of affective experiences (overall and with spouse). Analysis was conducted using a multi-trait-multi-method matrix and structural equation modeling. Main findings were (a) strong effects of affective dispositions on affective experiences with partner and affective well-being, (b) shared method variance among disposition and well-being ratings by the same rater, and (c) moderate to strong negative correlations between dispositions for positive and negative affect.