Revision and clarification of the sensitivity to punishment sensitivity to reward questionnaire

Abstract

Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST; 1982, 1991) describes two distinct neurobiological systems which underlie motivation and behavioral responding: the Behavioral Activation System (BAS), relating to approach behavior in response to reward, and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), relating to inhibition in response to punishment. The operationalization of RST has been hindered by existing self-report measures. The Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ; Torrubia et al., 2001) was derived directly from RST. The SPSRQ was written in Catalan with a yes/no response format. Existing English translations of the SPSRQ have been literal, impairing the comprehension of items. The present study clarified the English translation of the SPSRQ and changed the response scale to a 5-point Likert-type scale. Exploratory factor analysis indicated the resulting SPSRQ - Revised and Clarified (SPSRQ-RC) presented with two unidimensional factors, each comprised of 10 items, consistent with RST's BAS and BIS constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis maintained the factor structure and reliability of the SPSRQ-RC. Test-retest analysis indicated the measure's stability across time. Additionally, reliability and validity analyses indicated that the SPSRQ-RC has good psychometric properties. It also predicted outcomes in the expected directions. Improvements to this scale increase our ability to properly assess RST.