Variable
As stated by Heuchert and McNair (2012, p. 1) , the Profile of Mood States (POMS 2) ‘allows for the rapid assess-
ment of transient and fluctuating feelings, as well as relatively enduring affect states.’ It provides measures of seven
clinically important mood state dimensions. There are two versions of the POMS 2 instrument: An adult form
(POMS 2-A), and a youth form (POMS 2-Y).
Description
The original POMS ( McNair, Lorr, & Droppleman 1992; Lorr, McNair, & Heuchert 2003 ) which measured six
mood states labeled: Tension /C0Anxiety, Depression /C0Dejection, Anger /C0Hostility, Vigor /C0Activity, Fatigue /C0Inertia,
and Confusion /C0Bewilderment, has been used in about 4000 published studies (see Bourgeois, LeUnes, & Meyers
2010;Heuchert & McNair, 2012 ;McNair, Heuchert, & Shilony, 2003 ). The POMS 2-A and POMS 2-Y retain the six
subscales of the original POMS instrument, but additionally include a scale for Friendliness. The POMS 2
is a 65-item adjective checklist with instructions to respond ‘ How you have been feeling during the PAST
WEEK, INCLUDING TODAY’ on a 5-point Likert-type response scale as follows: 0. (Not at All); 1. (A Little);
2. (Moderately); 3. (Quite a Bit); 4. (Extremely). The feelings rated include nervousness (Tension /C0Anxiety), unhap-
piness (Depression /C0Dejection), fury (Anger /C0Hostility), energy (Vigor /C0Activity), exhaustion (Fatigue /C0Inertia),
and inability to concentrate (Confusion /C0Bewilderment). Used with these instructions, the POMS 2 measures rela-
tively recent mood state elevations. If one changes the instructions to respond as to, ‘how you feel RIGHT NOW’
then the instrument measures emotional states. Indeed, both the POMS and POMS 2 have been used extensively
as measures of transitory emotional states (e.g., Beckers, Wicherts, & Schmidt 2007 ;Boyle, 1987a,b , 1988).
Heuchert and McNair (2012, p. 13) also pointed out that the POMS 2 is ‘adaptable to state and trait assessments of
affect.’ Short-forms of both the adult (POMS 2-A Short) and youth versions (POMS 2-Y Short) are also available.
Sample
The POMS and its short-forms have been used with various populations of medical patients ( Curran,
Andrykowski & Studts 1995; Guadagnoli & Mor, 1989; Wyrwich & Yu, 2011; Baker, Denniston, Zabora, Polland, &
Dudley 2002; Walker, Sprague, Sleator, & Ullmann 1988 ), children ( Walker et al., 1988 ), adolescents ( Terry, Lane,
& Fogarty 2003 ), university students ( Barker-Collo, 2003; Reddon, Marceau, & Holden 1985 ), working adults
(Morfeld, Petersen, Kruger-Bodeker, von Mackensen, & Bullinger 2007 ), athletes ( Bell & Howe, 1988 ) and older
adults ( Gibson, 1997; Shin & Colling, 2000; Nyenhuis, Yamamoto, Luchetta, Terrien, & Parmentier 1999 ).
Construction of the POMS 2-A was based on a normative sample of 1000 North American adults, with stratified
random sampling to approximate the USA 2000 census. Norms for the POMS 2-Y were based on 100 adolescents
at each age level, a total of 500 cases, also weighted to match the USA 2000 census ( Heuchert & McNair, 2012 ).
Reliability
Internal Consistency
Cronbach alpha coefficients for the POMS 2-A ranged from .76 to .95 for the normative sample, and from .83
to .97 for the clinical sample. For the POMS 2-Y, alpha coefficients ranged from .76 to .95 for the normative sam-
ple, and from .78 to .96 for the clinical sample ( Heuchert & McNair, 2012 , p. 37). These findings are similar to
those for the original POMS (e.g., Curran et al., 1995 ;Gibson, 1997 ;O’Halloran, Murphy, & Webster 2004 ;
Wyrwich & Yu, 2011 ).
Test/C0Retest
Test/C0retest reliability coefficients for the POMS 2-A ranged from .48 to .72 at one week and from .34 to .70 at
one month, and for the POMS 2-Y from .45 to .75 at one week and from .02 to .59 at one month ( Heuchert &
McNair, 2012 , p. 37).
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
Positive correlations between corresponding scales of the POMS 2-A and PANAS-X ranging from .57 to .84
(Mdn5.73) ( Heuchert & McNair, 2012 , p. 47). Specifically, Tension /C0Anxiety correlated with Fear (.57),
Anger/C0Hostility correlated with Hostility (.84), Depression-Dejection correlated with Sadness (.70),
Fatigue /C0Inertia correlated with Fatigue (.73), and Vigor /C0Activity correlated with Positive Affect (.79). However,
correlation coefficients between the POMS 2-Y and corresponding measures have not been reported to-date.204 8. MEASURES OF AFFECT DIMENSIONS
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS