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Measuring Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and Physiological Hyperarousal among Italian Youth: Translations of the PANAS-C and PH-C

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Abstract

Italian-language versions of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C; Laurent et al. Psychological Assessment, 11, 326–338, 1999) and Physiological Hyperarousal Scale for Children (PH-C; Laurent et al. Psychological Assessment, 16, 373–380, 2004) were developed. Students (N = 1026; M age = 12.05 years, SD = 1.49) from central Italy completed these scales. Measures were evaluated based on criteria from previous studies resulting in an 11-item PANAS-C PA scale (α = .88), a 13-item PANAS-C NA scale (α = .87), and a 14-item PH-C (α = .85). Confirmatory factor analyses resulted in best-fit indices that favored a 3-factor model consistent with the tripartite model of anxiety and depression. Similar to results reported with the original English-language and other translations of these measures, scores on the PA scale were lower and scores on the NA and PH scales were higher for older girls than older boys and younger boys and girls. Findings suggested that the psychometric properties of the Italian-language versions of the PANAS-C and PH-C were similar to the English-language versions and other translated versions of the measures.

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Notes

  1. The PA scale of the PANAS and PANAS-C are 10 and 12 items, respectively. The NA scale of the PANAS and PANAS-C are 10 and 15 items, respectively. Laurent et al. (1999) note that 5 items from the PANAS PA scale (i.e., active, excited, interested, proud, strong) appear on the PANAS-C PA scale, and 7 items from the PANAS NA scale (i.e., afraid, scared, nervous, jittery, guilty, ashamed, upset) appear on the PANAS-C NA scale. For a detailed discussion of the development of the PANAS-C and its relation to the PANAS, readers are referred to Laurent et al. (1999) and Laurent and Ettelson (2001).

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported, in part, by a Bando 2013 grant from Fondazione Cassa Di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia. The authors wish to thank the deans, teachers, staff, parents and students of B. Sestini (Agliana, Pistoia, Italy), Roncalli-Galilei (Pistoia, Italy), and Raffaello (Pistoia, Italy) schools.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12 Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135, Firenze, Italy

    Enrica Ciucci, Andrea Baroncelli & Giovanna Tambasco

  2. Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, USA

    Jeff Laurent

  3. Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA

    Salvatore J. Catanzaro

  4. Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Thomas E. Joiner Jr.

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  1. Enrica Ciucci
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  2. Andrea Baroncelli
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  3. Giovanna Tambasco
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  4. Jeff Laurent
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  5. Salvatore J. Catanzaro
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  6. Thomas E. Joiner Jr.
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Correspondence to Enrica Ciucci.

Ethics declarations

All procedures performed in the current study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee, with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards, and with the ethical principles of the American Psychological Association. Informed consent was obtained from the parents/guardians of the students who participated, and assent was obtained from each student.

Conflict of Interest

Enrica Ciucci, Andrea Baroncelli, Giovanna Tambasco, Jeff Laurent, Salvatore J. Catanzaro and Thomas E. Joiner, Jr. declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Experiment Participants

Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of participants in this study. Students provided oral assent before completing the study.

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Ciucci, E., Baroncelli, A., Tambasco, G. et al. Measuring Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and Physiological Hyperarousal among Italian Youth: Translations of the PANAS-C and PH-C. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 39, 373–382 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-017-9596-8

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