The Factor Structure of the Affect Intensity Measure: In Search of a Measurement Model

Larsen (1984) developed the Affect Intensity Measure (AIM) as a putative measure of a unidimensional construct referred to as affect intensity, or the characteristic strength with which people experience emotions. Using a sample of 673 college undergraduates (409 females, 264 males), the one-factor model was found to be untenable as an explanation for subjects′ responses to the AIM. Based on exploratory principal components analysis, confirmatory analysis unveiled an oblique four-factor model (Positive Affectivity, Negative Intensity, Serenity, Negative Reactivity) that achieved only mediocre goodness of fit. Further attempts to find a better fitting model were futile. The common practice of scoring the AIM using the one-factor model emphasizes known external validity over conceptual clarity; future use of the four-factor model, for which external validity is unknown, would emphasize conceptual precision. Future research should aim toward developing a better conceptual framework for understanding the nature of affective experience.