Affective structure, measurement invariance, and reliability across different experience sampling protocols

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104094
• Publication Date: 2021-03-27T03:46:55Z
• Authors: Gudrun Eisele; Ginette Lafit; Hugo Vachon; Peter Kuppens; Marlies Houben; Inez Myin-Germeys; Wolfgang Viechtbauer
• Keywords: Affect; Measurement Invariance; Experience sampling method

While affect is frequently measured with experience sampling methodology (ESM),the affective structure at the between- and within-person level has not been thoroughly investigated. We investigated the affective structure at the between- and within-person level, its invariance across different ESM protocols, and its reliability. Participants (N = 147) were randomly assigned to receive either a 30 or 60 item questionnaire three, six, or nine times per day, resulting in 72 to 75 participants per questionnaire length and 48 to 50 participants per sampling frequency. Momentary affect was assessed with 8 or 18 items. At both levels, a structure with two correlated factors showed the best fit compared to an orthogonal and a unidimensional model. A structure with additional freed residual correlations was invariant across protocols at the within-person level and showed high reliability. We observed indications of a more discrete affective structure within than between persons.