Scale Overview
The Scale of Positive and Negative Experience – SPANE was developed by Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2009). It is designed to measure Subjective Well-Being (Positive and Negative Affect). The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Positive (SPANE-P), Negative (SPANE-N).
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Positive (SPANE-P) |
1,3,5,7,10,12 |
6 |
| Negative (SPANE-N) |
2,4,6,8,9,11 |
6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very rarely or never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Very often or always.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from -24 to 24. Interpretation guidelines:
- Negative Affect Dominant (SPANE-B): -24 – -1
- Balanced Affect (SPANE-B): 0 – 0
- Positive Affect Dominant (SPANE-B): 1 – 24
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of SPANE-P: .87, SPANE-N: .81, SPANE-B: .89.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.