The emotional state assessment tool: a brief, philosophically informed, and cross-culturally sensitive measure

Abstract

ABSTRACT A large empirical literature in psychology has established a two-dimensional model of measuring affect (positive and negative emotion) as well as circumplex-based models. The present series of studies begins with items developed from a philosophical theory of affect, which were iteratively reduced to a 6-factor, 18-item measure of emotional well-being, which provides more arousal-based granularity of positive and negative affect. In study 1 (N = 727), using exploratory factor analysis, we found evidence for the classic two-dimensional structure of affect based on parsimony: 1) positive emotion and 2) negative emotion, in addition to a six-dimensional model closer to circumplex-based approaches based on model fit and other factor analytic criteria, consisting of: 1) cheerfulness, 2) vitality, 3) serenity, 4) sadness, 5) lethargy, and 6) stress. In study 2 (N = 667), using confirmatory factor analysis, we found that the two-factor solution provided inadequate fit, as did other prominent two-factor emotion measures, while the six-factor model provided excellent fit (CFI = .98, RMSEA = .055). The resulting measure, the Emotional State Assessment Tool (ESAT), provides a philosophically grounded, brief, versatile, and more cross-culturally sensitive measure of affect to complement existing measures of affect.