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Categories: Assessment , Health & Fitness , Psychology
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The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule – Short Form helps you gauge how often ten everyday emotions surfaced during the past week. Five words reflect energy and engagement, while five capture distress and withdrawal. Together they provide an immediate, evidence-based snapshot of recent mood balance for personal reflection or professional dialogue.

Each emotion is rated on a five-point intensity scale from “Very Slight” to “Extremely.” The five positive ratings combine into a Positive score and the five negative ratings into a Negative score. Adding both numbers yields a Total affect index that researchers use to compare well-being across groups and studies.

Complete the questionnaire when tracking therapy progress, evaluating workplace well-being, or simply monitoring personal mood patterns, and answer *in a quiet moment without distractions* to maximise accuracy. Repeat weekly to spot trends and share the secure result link with a trusted professional if scores change markedly. **Results do not constitute medical or psychological diagnosis.**

Technical Details:

The assessment converts your ten five-point ratings into three simple sums that represent Positive, Negative, and Total affect. A lightweight reactive engine preserves answers in the address bar so you can revisit, print, or share results without sending data to a server.

Underlying concept:

  • Five positive emotion items measure energetic engagement.
  • Five negative emotion items measure general distress.
  • Equal weighting keeps interpretation transparent.
  • Immediate feedback supports self-monitoring.
  • Local processing safeguards privacy.
Score RangeTypical Interpretation
≤ 10Very low positive or negative affect
11 – 14Below-average intensity
15 – 19Average intensity
≥ 20Elevated intensity

All calculations run entirely in your browser; no ratings leave your device.

Calculations & Scoring:

This section shows how each score is derived from your answers.

Example Positive Affect calculation.

x1,x2,x3,x4,x5
4,3,5,4,3 The five positive item ratings are listed for summation.

4+3+5+4+3
19 Adding the five numbers returns the Positive Affect score.

The example ratings produce a Positive Affect score of 19.

Example Negative Affect calculation.

x6,x7,x8,x9,x10
2,1,3,2,3 The five negative item ratings are gathered for summation.

2+1+3+2+3
11 Adding the five numbers returns the Negative Affect score.

The example ratings produce a Negative Affect score of 11.

Example Total score calculation.

PA=19,NA=11
19+11 Positive and Negative scores are set side by side for addition.

19+11
30 Adding both numbers gives the Total affect index.

The example ratings produce a Total score of 30.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Follow these steps to complete the assessment.

  1. Click the Begin Assessment button to start.
  2. Select a rating for the first emotion word shown.
  3. Continue choosing ratings until the progress bar reaches 100 percent.
  4. If uncertain, tap any item in the list to revisit it.
  5. After the last choice, review your Positive-Negative donut chart.
  6. Print or copy the shareable link for later comparison.

FAQ:

Quick answers to common questions.

Is my data stored?

Your ratings stay in the page address only; they never leave your device.

What scale does each item use?

Each word uses a five-point Likert scale from 1 (Very Slight) to 5 (Extremely).

Can I retake the questionnaire?

Yes. Refresh the page or click the first list item to clear and start over.

Who created the PANAS-SF?

It condenses the original Positive and Negative Affect Schedule developed by Watson, Clark, and Tellegen in 1988.

Why are there only ten items?

The short form balances reliability with speed, allowing rapid mood tracking without fatigue.

Troubleshooting:

Resolve common issues quickly.

  • Error Chart does not appear: ensure your browser allows canvas rendering.
  • Progress bar stuck: check that every item shows a green check-mark.
  • Link too long: shorten with a trusted URL compressor before sharing.
  • Results look wrong: verify that each rating reflects the intended intensity.
  • Print layout breaks: switch to landscape orientation in print preview.

Advanced Tips:

Enhance the way you use the assessment.

  • Schedule weekly reminders to maintain consistent measurement intervals.
  • Compare Total scores across weeks to visualise mood trends.
  • Pair results with a daily journal for richer context.
  • Export the answers table to a spreadsheet for statistical analysis.
  • Discuss large score swings with a mentor or clinician promptly.

Glossary:

Key terms used throughout the tool.

Positive Affect
Feelings reflecting enthusiasm, energy, and engagement.
Negative Affect
Feelings reflecting distress, fear, or hostility.
Likert Scale
Ordered response scale measuring intensity of agreement or feeling.
Normative Range
Score band drawn from population reference data.
Total Score
Sum of Positive and Negative scores, indicating overall affect level.
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