Evaluación de la regulación emocional: indicadores psicométricos del instrumento RPA en población española [Evaluation of Emotional Regulation: Psychometric Indicators of the RPA Instrument in Spanish Population]

Resumen En la investigacion clinica, el afecto positivo ha recibido menos atencion que su dimension paralela: el afecto nega­tivo. Este trabajo analiza las propiedades psicometricas de la Escala de Afectividad Positiva ( Response to Positive Affect ), para su adaptacion al castellano y validacion en poblacion espanola. La escala mide las respuestas a las emociones experimentadas ante situaciones positivas (regulacion emocional). Segun los autores de la escala, esta compuesta por tres factores: Amortiguacion, Rumia positiva centrada en la emocion y Rumia positiva centrada en la persona. Se llevaron a cabo analisis factoriales exploratorio y confirmatorio, con 970 participantes de poblacion general y clinica, analisis de la consistencia interna, invarianza para sexo y grupo (pa­cientes/controles) y validez concurrente. Se obtuvo la misma estructura factorial planteada por los creadores de la version original de la escala. Se obtuvieron adecuados valores para la consistencia interna, invarianza para sexo y pacientes/controles, y correlaciones significativas con el cuestionario de salud general y el Cuestionario de Sensibilidad al Castigo y Sensibilidad a la Recompensa de sensibilidad al castigo y a la recompensa. La escala presenta adecuadas propiedades psicometricas. La Escala de Afectividad Positiva es un instrumento que puede permitir el estu­dio y analisis de la rumia positiva y la amortiguacion, por tanto, la regulacion de los estados emocionales positivos, complementando otros instrumentos centrados en otros procesos como la rumia y la afectividad negativa. Puede ser particularmente util para la evaluacion, seguimiento, y planificacion de la intervencion ante trastornos de ansie­dad, depresivos y bipolares, entre otros, al evaluar carac­teristicas de regulacion emocional en la persona evaluada. Abstract Possitive affect has often been neglected throughout research in clinical psychology, with respect to its parallel dimension: Negative affect. This study analyses the psychometric properties of the Response to Positive Affect scale in order for it to be adapted and validated in Spanish population. The scale measures people reaction to the emotions experienced from positive situations (emotion regulation). According to the authors of the scale, it is compossed by three factors: Dampening, Emotion-focused possitive rumination and Self-focused possitive rumination. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were carried out, with 970 participants from general and clinical population, along with analyses about internal consistency, invariance analysis for gender and group (patients/controls) and concurrent validity. The factors obtained were the same as the ones proposed by the creators of the original scale. Furthermore, the values for internal consistency were adecuate, invariance for sex and group (patients/controls), as well as the correlations with the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (sensitivity to punishment and reward). The scale has good psychometric properties. The Response to Positive Affect scale is an instrument that can allow the study and analysis of positive rumination and damping, therefore, the regulation of positive emotional states, complementing other instruments focused on processes as rumination or negative affectivity. It can be particularly useful for the evaluation, follow-up, and planning of the intervention in anxiety, depressive, and bipolar disorders, among others, when analyzing characteristics of emotional regulation.