Testing Measurement Invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience in Adolescents Across Educational Stages, Gender, and Time

The present study aimed to evaluate evidence on the measurement invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) – a measure designed to assess positive and negative affect – across educational stages, gender, and time in adolescence. Three independent adolescent samples from Serbia were recruited: primary school students ( n = 412; 55.3% female; age range = 11–14 years), secondary school students ( n = 421; 48% female; age range = 15–19 years), and secondary school students who completed the SPANE at three time points over a 12-month period ( n = 493; 57.6% female; age range = 15–17 years). Measurement invariance testing provided evidence for full scalar invariance of the SPANE’s two-factor structure across educational stages, gender, and time. Our findings indicate that the SPANE can be used as a valid measure for comparing mean levels and correlates of positive and negative affect across younger and older adolescents, boys and girls, and over time in longitudinal studies.