Scale Overview
The Types of Positive Affect Scale – TPAS was developed by Paul Gilbert, Kirsten McEwan, Reena Mitra, Laura Franks, Anja Richter, Helen Rockliff (2008). It is designed to measure Positive Affect. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Active positive affect, Relaxed positive affect, Safe/warmth positive affect.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Active positive affect |
3,5,6,8,9,13,14,17 |
8 |
| Relaxed positive affect |
2,4,7,15,16,18 |
6 |
| Safe/warmth positive affect |
1,10,11,12 |
4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not characteristic of me, 1 = 1, 2 = Fairly characteristic of me, 3 = 3, 4 = Very characteristic of me.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 0. Interpretation guidelines:
- Scores are calculated by summing the items for each subscale. Higher scores indicate higher levels of that specific positive affect.: 0 – 0
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach alpha: Active (.83), Relaxed (.83), Safe/warmth (.73).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.