Refining the measurement of mood: The UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist

TLDR

The study reviews research employing a refined version of the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL) to assess mood. Factor analysis of 388 participants confirmed that the UMACL captures three dimensions: energetic arousal, tense arousal, and hedonic tone. The UMACL demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties, discriminant validity with small correlations to demographic and personality variables, concurrent validity with autonomic arousal measures, sensitivity to external stressors, and distinct stressor effects that reduce energetic arousal and hedonic tone while increasing tense arousal.

Abstract

Research using a refinement of existing measures of mood, the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL), is reviewed. A factor analysis ( N = 388), using a validated criterion for assessing the number of factors to be extracted, confirmed that the UMACL measures dimensions of energetic arousal, tense arousal and hedonic tone. Psychometric properties of UMACL scales were satisfactory. Discriminant validity was established by showing that correlations between UMACL scales and demographic and personality variables were small in magnitude, though of theoretical importance. Significant correlations between the arousal scales and psychophysiological measures of autonomic arousal demonstrate concurrent validity. A series of studies shows that the UMACL scales are sensitive to external ‘stressors’. Specific influences on each of the three principal scales have been found. Certain stressors appear to evoke a more general stress syndrome associated with reduced energetic arousal and hedonic tone, and increased tense arousal.