Synonyms
Definition
Negative affect is classified under the classes of mood, emotion, and affect. It refers to the subjective experience of a group of negative emotional states such as anxiety, depression, stress, sadness, worry, guilt, shame, anger, and envy.
Description
Negative affect has been studied since the 1960s under the area of psychological well-being which is a key topic in quality of life research. It is regarded as one of the three interrelated components of a person’s subjective well-being which, in addition to objective functioning, contributes to the person’s quality of life (Diener, 2000). Life satisfaction and positive affect are the other two components of subjective well-being (Diener & Suh, 1997).
Negative affect can be conceptualized in terms of frequency and intensity. Diener (2000) concluded from studies on subjective well-being that it is the frequency rather than intensity of affect that influences a person’s overall...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bradburn, N. M. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being. Chicago: Aldine.
Carroll, J. M., Yik, M. S. M., Russell, J. A., & Barrett, L. F. (1999). On the psychometric principles of affect. Review of General Psychology, 3(1), 14–22.
Carver, S. C., & Scheier, M. F. (1990). Origins and functions of positive and negative affect: A control-process view. Psychological Review, 97(1), 19–35.
Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55(1), 34–43.
Diener, E., & Emmons, R. A. (1984). The independence of positive and negative affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1105–1117.
Diener, E., & Suh, E. (1997). Measuring quality of life: Economic, social and subjective indicators. Social Indicators Research, 40, 189–216.
Huppert, F. A., & Whittington, J. E. (2003). Evidence for the independence of positive and negative well-being: Implications for quality of life assessment. British Journal of Health Psychology, 8, 107–122.
Koller, M., Kussman, J., Lorenz, W., Jenkins, M., Voss, M., Arens, E., Richter, E., & Rothmund, M. (1996). Symptom reporting in cancer patients: The role of negative affect and experienced social stigma. Cancer, 77(5), 963–995.
Lee, A. M., Chan, C. L. W., Ho, A. H. Y., Wan, C. N., Tang, V. Y. H., Lau, S. S. M., Leung, P. P. Y., Fu, Y. T., Yau, Y. T., & Ho, J. W. C. (2009). Improving the quality of life and psychological well-being of patients with colorectal cancer. In Y. M. Lee, S. M. Ng, P. P. Y. Leung, & C. L. W. Chan (Eds.), Integrative body-mind-spirit social work: An empirically based approach to assessment and treatment (pp. 236–244). New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 11.
Russell, J. A. (1980). A circumplex model of affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 1161–1178.
Thompson, E. R. (2007). Development and validation of an internationally reliable short-form of the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS). Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 38(2), 227–242.
Watson, D. (1988). Intraindividual and interindividual analyses of positive and negative affect: Their relation to health complaints, perceived stress, and daily activities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1020–1030.
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.
Watson, D., & Clark, L. A. (1999). The PANAS-X: Manual for the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form. Retrieved from Iowa Research Online: Retrieved 17 May, 2013 from http://ir.uiowa.edu/psychology_pubs/11.
Watson, D., & Tellegen, A. (1985). Toward a consensual structure of mood. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 219–235.
Yik, M., Russell, J. A., & Steiger, J. H. (2011). A 12-point circumplex structure of core affect. Emotion, 11(4), 705–731.
Zautra, A. J., Burleson, M. H., Smith, C. A., Blalock, S. J., Wallston, K. A., DeVellis, R. F., Devellis, B. M., & Smith, T. W. (1995). Arthritis and perceptions of quality of life: An examination of positive and negative affect in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Health Psychology, 14(5), 399–408.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this entry
Cite this entry
Leung, S., Lee, A. (2014). Negative Affect. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_1923
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_1923
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-0752-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0753-5
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law