Judgements of Positive Emotions Support a Unidimensional Structure of Positive Valence

Abstract Positive valence is the intrinsic positivity or pleasantness of an emotion, feeling, or mood. Affective scientists disagree on whether positive valence is unidimensional (i.e., a single spectrum ranging from minimally positive to maximally positive) or multidimensional (i.e., a complex construct that accommodates multiple distinct ways an emotion can be experienced as positive). In this study, we examined the structure of positive valence through exploratory factor analyses of participants’ ( N = 378) evaluations of positive emotions along candidate valence dimensions, as assessed through questionnaires. Across multiple factor analyses—both across all emotions, and within each emotion analysed separately—our results supported a single-factor model, suggesting a unidimensional structure of positive valence. Further, predictive regression analyses showed that this single positive valence factor best accounted for variations in participants’ preference-based rankings of positive emotions, over and above all individual aspects and additional factors, establishing predictive validity and providing further support for the unidimensionality of positive valence. Together, these findings support a unidimensional conceptualisation of positive valence, and help to clarify the underlying structure of people’s judgements about their positive emotional experiences.