PANAS: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule

The PANAS is a 20-item validated measure of mood and affect. Ten items measure Positive Affect (PA) and ten measure Negative Affect (NA), each scored 10–50. Population means: PA ≈ 35, NA ≈ 18. Watson, Clark & Tellegen (1988).

What the PANAS measures

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was developed by David Watson, Lee Anna Clark, and Auke Tellegen (1988) to efficiently measure two dominant dimensions of mood: Positive Affect (PA) and Negative Affect (NA). These two dimensions are largely independent (not opposite ends of one scale) and each represents a distinct neurobiological and psychological system.

High PA indicates high energy, engagement, and positive mood. Low PA is a hallmark of depression (not anxiety). High NA indicates distress, nervousness, and negative mood, and is associated with both anxiety and depression. Check the copyright holder's terms before clinical or commercial use of the PANAS.

How to administer the PANAS

The 20 items are common mood descriptors, 10 reflecting positive affect (e.g., excited, enthusiastic, attentive) and 10 reflecting negative affect (e.g., distressed, upset, nervous). Each is rated on a 5-point scale (1 = Very slightly or not at all, 5 = Extremely) based on the respondent's current state or a specified time frame (today, past week, in general). It is self-report; no clinician administration or scoring is required.

Rate each word based on how you feel right now or select your preferred time frame below.

Rating scale

Educational reference only. Cannot diagnose or replace clinical evaluation.

PANAS scoring and interpretation

PA and NA subscale scores are each summed across their 10 items (range 10–50). The two subscales are interpreted separately; they are not combined into a single total, and no fixed severity cutoffs have been established in the literature.

Score reference

Watson, Clark & Tellegen (1988). Norms for "in general" instruction: PA mean ≈ 35.0 (SD 7.9); NA mean ≈ 18.0 (SD 6.9).

Positive Affect (PA)

Items: interested, excited, strong, enthusiastic, proud, alert, inspired, determined, attentive, active

Negative Affect (NA)

Items: distressed, upset, guilty, scared, hostile, irritable, ashamed, nervous, jittery, afraid

Psychometric properties

In the original development study, Watson, Clark, and Tellegen (1988) showed the two 10-item scales to be highly internally consistent, largely uncorrelated, and stable at appropriate levels over a 2-month period, with factorial and external evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. In 416 outpatient substance users, Cronbach's alpha was 0.90 for Positive Affect and 0.91 for Negative Affect, with acceptable baseline-to-week-1 test-retest reliability (PA 0.80, NA 0.76) (Serafini et al., 2016). In 595 Spanish adults with depressive, anxiety, or adjustment disorders, the online version kept its two-factor structure, with good internal consistency and sensitivity to change (Díaz-García et al., 2020).

Limitations

• Not diagnostic. The PANAS measures affect dimensions that relate to, but are distinct from, diagnostic categories.
• No clinical cutoffs. Scores are compared against normative means, not validated severity bands.
• Time frame matters. Norms differ by instruction (right now, past week, in general), so scores are only comparable when the same time frame is used.
• Self-report. Ratings reflect the respondent's own perception of their mood.

Track Mood and Affect Over Time in HiBoop

PANAS alongside PHQ-9 and GAD-7, longitudinal mood tracking to monitor treatment response and wellbeing across your patient panel.