Emotion measurement plays a crucial role in trauma research and policy evaluation. The Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) is widely used as a self-report measure for affective research among various populations. However, its use in trauma-affected samples, such as victims of street harassment, remains insufficiently validated. This study aimed to examine the factor structure and internal consistency of PANAS in a sample of street harassment victims and to assess the adequacy of the traditional two-factor affect model in this context.
Data was collected from 306 female participants who met the inclusion criteria. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was first conducted using Principal component analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using the DWLS estimator in JASP.
The scree plot in the EFA indicated a three-factor structure and thus those three components were extracted and subsequently rotated using the Varimax method. CFA supported this model moderately {χ² = 530.14, df = 149, p < .001; Goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.949; Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.092 [90% CI: 0.083-0.100]; Standardized Root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.125}. Cronbach's alpha was also calculated for each subscale identified via EFA.
The result indicates that the three-factor model provides a significantly better fit than the null model, but does not meet all criteria for an excellent fit. Findings indicate that the PANAS may require structural adaptation for accurate affect measurement in populations affected by street harassment, and future validation efforts should emphasize context-specific model refinement.