Variable
Differential Emotions Theory has been well explicated (e.g., Izard, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2007 , 2008; Izard
et al., 1993, 1995, 2001, Izard, Quinn, & Most; 2008 ). The Differential Emotions Scale (DES-IV) provides a measure
of fundamental emotions universally discernible in the facial expression of infants and young children.
Description
The 36 items are grouped into 12 subscales labeled: Interest, Joy, Surprise, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Contempt,
Self-Hostility, Fear, Shame, Shyness, and Guilt ( Izard et al., 1993 , p. 851). Youngstrom and Green (2003,
pp. 283 /C0284) stated:
‘The DES-IV consists of 36 items divided into 12 scales. Eleven discrete emotion scales and 1 inner-directed hostility scale consist of
three items, each rating the presence or absence of the target emotion on a 5-point scale ranging from rarely or never to very often.
An aggregate of 9 discrete negative emotion scales of the DES-IV (anger, contempt, disgust, sadness, shyness, shame, guilt, fear, and
self-directed hostility) comprise the index of negative emotions. Surprise, enjoyment, and [interest] ...consistently load on a general
Positive Affect factor ...in both normal (e.g., Boyle, 1984; Izard et al., 1993, 2001 ; Youngstrom et al., 2001) and clinical (e.g., Carey,
Finch, & Carey 1991 ;Kashani, Suarez, Allan, & Reid 1997 ) populations.’
Sample
The DES-IV was constructed through a process of ongoing progressive rectification (earlier versions included
the DES-I, DES-II, DES-III measures), using a wide diversity of samples in many different studies (e.g., a typical
sample comprised 289 10- and 11-year-old public school children; another sample comprised 113 mothers who
had recently given birth /C0seeIzard et al., 1993 , p. 851).
Reliability
Internal Consistency
Cronbach alpha coefficients for the 12 DES-IV subscales were reported by Izard et al. (1993, p. 851) as follows:
Interest (.75), Joy (.83), Surprise (.65), Sadness (.85), Anger (.85), Disgust (.56), Contempt (.82), Fear (.83), Guilt
(.73), Shame (.60), Shyness (.62), Self-Hostility (.75).
Test/C0Retest
Izard et al. (1993, p. 854) reported test /C0retest coefficients for mothers from 2.5 to 6 months after childbirth,
ranging from .50 to .83 (Mdn 5.70). Test /C0retest stability coefficients over a six-month interval were reported by
Ricard-St-Aubin, Philippe, Beaulieu-Pelletier, & Lecours (2010, p. 47) based on a sample of 213 participants aged
from 18 to 72 years of age as follows: Interest (.76), Joy (.78), Surprise (.61), Sadness (.75), Anger (.68), Disgust
(.49), Contempt (.77), Fear (.86), Guilt (.79), Shame (.73), Shyness (.72), Self-Hostility (.68).
Parallel Forms
The median correlation of the DES-IV-A (trait version) with the DES-IV-B (mood-state version) across intervals
from 2.5 months up to three years was found to be .64 (Izard et al., p. 854).
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
All the DES-IV positive subscales correlate positively with Extraversion, and all the negative subscales corre-
late positively with Neuroticism as measured via the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (cf.Boyle, 1984b, 1985c,
1986b ).Izard et al. (1993, p. 854) reported the following correlations with the EPQ-R: Positive Affects: Interest
(.35), Joy (.36), Surprise (.21), Negative Affects: Sadness (.44), Anger (.32), Disgust (.34), Contempt (.46), Fear (.40),
Shame (.41), Shyness (.46), Guilt (.41) and Self-Hostility (.46) Several positive correlations ranging up to .49
between the DES-IV subscales and the Personality Research Form subscales were reported by Izard et al. (1993,
Table 10) .
Divergent/Discriminant
Shame correlated 2.33 with Extraversion, while Interest and Joy correlated 2.27 and 2.32 with Neuroticism,
respectively ( Izard et al., 1993 , p. 854). Several zero-order or negative correlations (ranging up to 2.35) between
the DES-IV subscales and the Personality Research Form subscales were reported by Izard et al. (1993, p. 856) .201 OVERVIEW OF THE MEASURES
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS