Reliability and Validity of the Modified Differential Emotions Scale (mDES) in a Greek Sample

Abstract

Positive psychology focuses on the beneficial effects of positive variables in human health. Research on positive emotions has increased vastly over the last years due to the role that these variables play on psychological health. In order to cope with the increasing need for positive emotions measurement, Izard's (1977) Differential Emotions Scale (DES) was modified by Fredrickson so as to include a far wider set of positive emotions and to assist scientific research. The present study examines the psychometric qualities of the mDES in a sample of 11,422 Greek adults aging from 18 to 83 years old. Results showed satisfactory reliability levels on both subscales of the test. Factor analysis revealed a three-component solution in contrast to the two-component solution as proposed by the original standardization study. The difference in the factorial structure does not inhibit positive and negative emotions subscale scoring and may be attributed to cultural elements in the Greek population. Further implications are discussed.