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Facets of dynamic positive affect: differentiating joy, interest, and activation in the positive and negative affect
Boris Egloff1, Stefan C Schmukle, Lawrence R Burns
1Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany. egloff@mail.uni-mainz.de
Abstract:
This article proposes the differentiation of Joy, Interest, and Activation in the Positive Affect (PA) scale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; D. Watson, L. A. Clark, & A. Tellegen, 1988). Study 1 analyzed the dynamic course of PA before, during, and after an exam and established the differentiation of the three facets. Study 2 used a multistate-multitrait analysis to confirm this structure. Studies 3-5 used success-failure experiences, speaking tasks, and feedback of exam results to further examine PA facets in affect-arousing settings. All studies provide convincing evidence for the benefit of differentiating three facets of PA in the PANAS: Joy, Interest, and Activation do have distinct and sometimes even opposite courses that make their separation meaningful and rewarding.
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