Datset for A Modern Network Approach to Revisiting the Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS) Construct Validity

The main objective of the present study was to advance the knowledge regarding the factor structure underlying the PANAS scores by utilizing the different functionalities of the EGA method. Despite the widespread use of this instrument (Heubeck & Wilkinson, 2019), there is controversy regarding its factor structure. In light of this, EGA was used to: (1) estimate the dimensionality of the PANAS scores, (2) establish the stability of the dimensionality estimate and of the item assignments into the dimensions, and (3) assess the impact of potential redundancies across item pairs on the dimensionality and structure of the PANAS scores. This assessment was carried out across two studies that included two large samples of participants that varied across a wide range of ages and that included persons in treatment for psychological disorders. In order to reduce the possibility of capitalization on chance, the sample for Study 1 was split into two halves as recommended in the literature (Anderson & Gerbing, 1988), with the first half used to derive the optimal structure for the PANAS using EGA and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM; Asparouhov & Muthén, 2009), and the second half used to cross-validate it with EGA, ESEM and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; Jöreskog, 1969). The sample for Study 2 was then employed to confirm the dimensionality and latent structure of the PANAS scores using both EGA and CFA. Additionally, the measurement invariance of the PANAS factor structure across sex, age, and treatment status was assessed in Study2 for both samples, as well as the reliability of the confirmed scales. Overall, these analyses aimed to offer more clarity to the lingering debate regarding the optimal factorial structure for the PANAS scores and to provide a framework that other researchers can use for scale validation of the scores of this or other instruments.