For 443 men and women of the general population and mean age of 45.8 yr. state and trait measures were obtained on two occasions, 6 mo. apart. Internal consistencies at each time were similar (.84−.95). Test-retest coefficients were lower for measures of state concepts than for trait concepts. Howarth's μ indices were higher for state concepts than for trait concepts.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllenB. R.PotkayC. R. (1981) On the arbitrary distinction between states and traits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 916–928.
2.
ArrindellW. A.EmmelkampP. M. G.BrilmanE.MonsmaA. (1983) Psychometric evaluation of an inventory for assessment of parental rearing practices: A Dutch form of the EMBU. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67, 163–177.
3.
ArrindellW. A.HanewaldG. J. F. P.KolkA. M. (1989) Cross-national constancy of dimensions of parental rearing style: The Dutch version of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Personality and Individual Differences, 10, 949–956.
4.
CostelloC. G.ComreyA. L. (1967) Scales for measuring depression and anxiety. Journal of Psychology, 66, 303–313.
5.
FridhandlerB. M. (1986) Conceptual note on state, trait, and the state-trait distinction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 169–174.
6.
HowarthE. (1978) The μ index for differentiation of state and trait scales. Psychological Reports, 43, 474.
7.
OasterT. R. F. (1982) μ index for differentiation of state and trait scales with new stressor scales. Psychological Reports, 51, 272.
8.
ParkerG.TuplingH.BrownL. B. (1979) A parental bonding instrument. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 52, 1–10.
9.
PerrisC.JacobssonL.LindstrømH.Von KnorrtngL.PerrisH. (1980) Development of a new inventory for assessing memories of parental rearing behaviour. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 61, 265–274.
10.
RuleW. R.TraverM. D. (1983) Test-retest reliabilities of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in a stressful social analogue situation. Journal of Personality Assessment, 47, 276–277.
11.
SpielbergerC. D. (1980) Preliminary manual for the State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS). (Unpublished manuscript, Univer. of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA).
12.
SpielbergerC. D.GorsuchR. L.LusheneR. E. (1970) STAI manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
13.
van der PloegH. M.DefaresP. B.SpielbergerC. D. (1980) Handleiding bij de Zelf-Beoordelings Vragenlijst (ZBV). Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger.
14.
van der PloegH. M.DefaresP. B.SpdzlbergerC. D. (1982) Handleiding bij de Zelf-Analyse Vragenlijst (ZAV): Een Vragenlijst voor het Meten van Boosheid en Woede, als Toestand en als Dispositie. Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger.
15.
ZuckermanM. (1983) The distinction between trait and state scales is not arbitrary: Comment on Allen and Potkay's “On the arbitrary distinction between traits and states.”Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 1083–1086.
16.
ZungW. W. K. (1967) Factors influencing the Self-rating Depression Scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 16, 543–547.