Measuring affect at work based on the valence and arousal circumplex model

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Psychology
• Workplace Affect

Background:

• Affective states are crucial in organizational behavior research.
• The Circumplex Model offers a framework for understanding job-related affect.
• A lack of validated measures hinders research, especially in non-English speaking populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To cross-validate the Multi-Affect Indicator (MAI) between English and Spanish versions.
• To assess the MAI's structural validity and measurement invariance across languages.
• To confirm the MAI's utility in representing affect within the Circumplex Model framework.

Main Methods:

• Utilized three samples of English-speaking and Spanish-speaking workers.
• Employed Multi-group Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for cross-validation and invariance testing.
• Applied Circular Stochastic Modeling to evaluate the circumplex representation.

Main Results:

• Multi-group SEM confirmed the instrument's structure and supported measurement invariance between English and Spanish versions.
• Circular Stochastic Modeling validated the theoretically proposed circumplex representation of affect.
• Statistical fit indices (RMSEA, CFI) indicated good model fit for both language versions.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a cross-validated Spanish translation of the Multi-Affect Indicator.
• This validated instrument enhances the accurate measurement of workplace affect for both English and Spanish-speaking populations.
• The findings support the application of the Circumplex Model in diverse linguistic contexts.