8.I enjoy exploring new places 1 2 3 4
9.I feel active 1 2 3 4
10.New situations capture my attention 1 2 3 4
11.I feel inquisitive 1 2 3 4
12.I feel like asking questions about what is happening 1 2 3 4
13.The prospect of learning new things excites me 1 2 3 4
14.I feel like searching for answers 1 2 3 4
15.I feel absorbed in things I do 1 2 3 4
16.I like speculating about things 1 2 3 4
17.I like to experience new sensations 1 2 3 4
18.I feel interested in things 1 2 3 4
19.I like to enquire about things I don’t understand 1 2 3 4
20.I feel like seeking things out 1 2 3 4
Note: Copyright rAustralian Psychological Society. Reproduced with permission.
State/C0Trait Personality Inventory (STPI)
(Spielberger et al., 1995; Spielberger & Reheiser, 2009 ).
Variable
Spielberger identified Anxiety, Depression, Anger and Curiosity as basic emotions that motivate a wide range
of behaviors. The State/C0Trait Personality Inventory (STPI) measures these four constructs as both traits (disposi-
tions) and states (transitory emotions) /C0(e.g., see Spielberger et al., 1995 ;Spielberger & Reheiser, 2009 ).
Description
The 80-item STPI includes 10 items for each of eight state and trait scales ( Spielberger et al., 1995 ). The STPI
was derived from previous unidimensional state /C0trait scales constructed by Spielberger, including the
State/C0Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI: Spielberger et al. 1983 ), and the State /C0Trait Anger Expression Inventory
(STAXI: Spielberger, 1999 ). For each state item, instructions are to respond as to one’s present feelings . For the cor-
responding trait items, instructions are to respond as to how one g enerally feels. As with each of the single-
dimension scales (STCI, STAI, STAS, STDI), the STPI state items ask respondents to describe various feelings
they are experiencing at this very moment on a 4-point response scale ranging from: 1 5Not At All; 2 5Somewhat;
35Moderately So; 4 5Very Much So. Most items use single words to define the target feeling; a few use phrases
(e.g., ‘hopeful about future’). Sample items require ratings of tension (anxiety), sadness (depression), annoyance
(anger) and inquisitiveness (curiosity). The items involve mainly adjective ratings /C0the items simply add ‘I feel’
or ‘I am’ as a stem, rather than present the adjective alone.
Sample
Numerous samples were used in Spielberger’s initial studies into state /C0trait anxiety ( Spielberger et al., 1983 ),
depression ( Spielberger, Ritterband, Reheiser, & Brunner 2003 ), anger ( Spielberger, 1999 ) and curiosity
(Spielberger et al., 1981 ). The Preliminary Manual for the STPI (which excluded the depression scales) reported
data on samples of 199 college students, 198 navy recruits, and 876 working adults (cf. Spielberger et al., 1995 ).
Reliability
Internal Consistency
Spielberger and Reheiser (2009) , reported Cronbach alpha coefficients for the state and trait anger scales rang-
ing from .87 to .93, and for the state and trait depression scales of .81 or higher (Mdn 5.90). Likewise, they
reported alpha coefficients ranging from .86 to .94 (Mdn 5.93) for the state anxiety scale, while for the trait anxi-
ety scale, the median alpha coefficient was .90.196 8. MEASURES OF AFFECT DIMENSIONS
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS