Since the 1950's, researchers have sought unsuccessfully to identify a consensual
psychometric structure of self-reported affect. One unresolved question, central to any
psychometric model, is whether the structure includes bipolar or unipolar dimensions. For
example, are positive and negative affect two ends of the same bipolar dimension or are they
better represented by separable unipolar dimensions? In contrast to what has been assumed in
previous analyses, a bipolar model is presented that distinguishes between two forms of
bipolarity, each with its own conceptual definition, operational definition, and statistical
properties. It is shown both conceptually and empirically that the two forms of bipolarity lead to
different results when examined by traditional psychometric methods such as exploratory factor
analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and the linear correlation. Furthermore, when the bipolar
model is applied to previous analyses, the psychometric evidence that has suggested unipolar
dimensions can be interpreted as evidence suggesting bipolar dimensions. Two studies were
conducted to examine specific predictions of the bipolar model. Study 1 examined judgements of
the hypothesized opposites of hot-cold and happy-sad. Study 2 examined judgments of affect
terms based on a circumplex model of affect characterized by orthogonal valence and activation
dimensions. In both studies the bipolar model is strongly supported. Furthermore, the analyses
highlighted specific problems with current methods that emphasize sophisticated techniques
based on the correlation coefficient and demonstrated the utility of more simple descriptive
statistics.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/11045 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Carroll, James M. |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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