Is the Structure of Affect Similar for Younger and Older Children? Cross-Sectional Differences in Negative and Positive Affectivity

摘要

Although studies investigating the validity of positive affectivity and negative affectivity in children have been supportive, investigations of changes in the structure of affect across childhood have demonstrated mixed results.The current study used confirmatory factor analytic techniques to test one-factor, two-factor correlated, and two-factor uncorrelated models of positive affectivity and negative affectivity in two developmental!/ distinct populations of children (third and sixth grade). Both two-factor models provided an acceptable fit to the data from older and younger children. Based on these results and previous research, the structure of affect appears to be similar across age groups. However, evidence for increased differentiation remains. Limitations of the study include the cross-sectional design and a predominantly rural, White sample.