Two short versions of the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List

Area of Science:

• Psychological assessment
• Clinical psychology
• Affective science

Background:

• The original Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL) is a comprehensive tool for measuring affect.
• There is a need for more concise versions of the MAACL for efficient assessment.
• The study aimed to validate shortened MAACL versions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate two shorter versions of the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL).
• To assess the concurrent and construct validity of these new versions.
• To determine if shortened versions can effectively measure negative affect.

Main Methods:

• Two new versions of the MAACL were created: a subset of original items and a semantic differential scale version.
• Concurrent validity was tested across three college student populations and one drug patient population.
• Construct validity was evaluated by measuring negative affect changes during an induced anxiety session.

Main Results:

• Correlations between the standard MAACL and the subset version for total negative affect ranged from .49 to .99.
• Correlations between the standard MAACL and the semantic differential version for total negative affect ranged from .53 to .81.
• Both shortened versions showed significant correlations with the original MAACL, indicating good validity.

Conclusions:

• The developed shorter versions of the MAACL are valid and reliable alternatives to the original scale.
• These condensed versions can be effectively used for assessing negative affect in various populations.
• The findings support the utility of the subset and semantic differential MAACL versions for research and clinical practice.