Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect

Abstract

This study examined if the relation between momentary positive and negative affect varies with culture and gender. In eight samples covering five languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) with 3084 respondents (1305 males and 1779 females), I tested this proposal through structural equation models that controlled for random and systematic errors of measurement. In all eight samples, female respondents yielded a more negative correlation between positive and negative affect than did male respondents, but the differences were tiny and only two were statistically significant. In a multi-sample confirmatory factor analysis, the correlation was found to be substantial and negative in all five languages (φ ranging from −.80 to −.91). All values from the total samples and from males and females separately were consistent with the bipolarity of positive and negative affect.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by RGC Direct Allocation Grants (DAG02/03.HSS14 and DAG03/04.HSS14).

I thank the reviewers for their comments on the earlier drafts. I also thank Virginia Unkefer and Raymond Wong for their help in preparing this article.

Notes

¹In Chinese Sample 2, only “after breakfast”, “after lunch”, and “after dinner” were user.

²In English Sample 2, satisfied and dissatisfied were not included.

³I examined these measurement models using revised Pleasure and Displeasure scales in which semantic opposites were excluded. For instance, when happy was included in defining the Pleasure scale, unhappy was taken out from the Displeasure scale. Results were identical to those reported here and hence lend further support to the bipolarity of PA and NA.