Dimensionality and Psychometric Properties of the Emotions-Affect Systems ELicitation (EASEL-3) in Fibromyalgia and the General Population: A Cross-Cultural Study

IF 2.7 3区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy Pub Date : 2025-08-01 DOI:10.1002/cpp.70130

Ana Margarida Pinto, Cristiana Campos Marques, Claúdia Figueiredo, Francisco J. Caramelo, Mariana Luís, Paula Castilho, Rinie Geenen, José A. P. da Silva

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Abstract

Objective

Despite the growing acceptance and use of the evolutionary tripartite model of affect regulation, the lack of a suitable instrument capable of gauging the activation of the threat, drive and soothing systems hinders further advances. The aim of this study was to preliminarily validate the Emotions-Affect Systems ELicitation (EASEL-3)—a novel index used to estimate the activation of the three affect regulation systems. Evaluated were the assessment of its dimensionality, measurement invariance, psychometric properties and construct and nomological validity.

Method

An international sample of people with fibromyalgia (N = 2033, 94% women) and controls (i.e., people without the disease; N = 463, 71% women) completed the EASEL-3 and clinical symptoms measures. A subsample of people with fibromyalgia (n = 162) completed additional measures of threat (behavioural inhibition, rumination), drive (behavioural activation) and soothing-related constructs (compassionate self-responding, social safeness).

Results

Confirmatory analyses supported a three-factor solution (χ²(206) = 2322.236, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.877; TLI = 0.862; RMSEA = 0.071, SRMR = 0.052 for fibromyalgia and χ²(206) = 726.838, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.870; TLI = 0.855; RMSEA = 0.074, SRMR = 0.061 for controls) that was found to be partially invariant between groups (ΔCFI, ΔRMSEA and ΔSRMR within the recommended values except for ΔCFI > 0.010 in scalar invariance). Reliability ranged from acceptable to excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.78–0.92). Mean comparison analyses showed that the EASEL-3 profile of people with fibromyalgia significantly differed from that of controls, with the former experiencing a greater threat system activation score and lower drive and soothing system activation scores (all p < 0.001). The EASEL-3 was moderate-to-strongly associated with theoretically related constructs and clinical symptoms. The soothing system activation score moderated the relationship between the threat system activation score and fibromyalgia-like symptoms but not somatic or depressive symptoms. A weaker association between threat activation scores and fibromyalgia-like symptoms was observed with higher soothing system activation scores.

Conclusion and Discussion

Findings support the three-dimensional structure of the EASEL-3, its reliability, temporal stability and adequate nomological and construct validity. Results suggest that the EASEL-3 is a psychometrically sound measure to assess the evolutionary tripartite model of affect through discrete emotions both in fibromyalgia and general populations and to examine how threat, soothing and drive system activation scores differ across populations and may affect symptoms. Future avenues for research are discussed.

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纤维肌痛和普通人群情绪-影响系统激发（EASEL-3）的维度和心理测量特性：一项跨文化研究

尽管越来越多的人接受和使用情感调节的进化三方模型，但缺乏一种能够测量威胁、驱动和舒缓系统激活的合适工具阻碍了进一步的研究进展。本研究的目的是初步验证情绪-情感系统激发(EASEL-3) -一个用于估计三种情感调节系统激活的新指标。评估的内容包括量表的维度、测量不变性、心理测量性质、结构和法效度。方法采用国际纤维肌痛患者（N = 2033, 94%为女性）和对照组(即未患病人群；N = 463（71%女性）完成了EASEL-3和临床症状测量。纤维肌痛患者的子样本（n = 162）完成了额外的威胁（行为抑制，反刍），驱动（行为激活）和安抚相关结构（同情自我反应，社会安全）的测量。结果验证性分析支持三因素解决方案(χ2(206) = 2322.236, p < 0.001；cfi = 0.877；tli = 0.862；纤维肌痛的RMSEA = 0.071, SRMR = 0.052, χ2(206) = 726.838, p < 0.001；cfi = 0.870；tli = 0.855；RMSEA = 0.074, SRMR = 0.061)，发现组间部分不变性（ΔCFI， ΔRMSEA和ΔSRMR在推荐值内，除了ΔCFI >； 0.010的标量不变性）。信度范围从可接受到极好（Cronbach’s α = 0.78-0.92）。平均比较分析显示，纤维肌痛患者的EASEL-3谱与对照组显著不同，前者的威胁系统激活评分较高，而驱动和舒缓系统激活评分较低（均p <； 0.001）。EASEL-3与理论相关构念和临床症状有中等到强烈的相关性。舒缓系统激活评分调节了威胁系统激活评分与纤维肌痛样症状之间的关系，但没有调节躯体或抑郁症状。威胁激活评分与纤维肌痛样症状之间的关联较弱，舒缓系统激活评分较高。结论和讨论研究结果支持EASEL-3的三维结构、信度、时间稳定性和足够的法效度和结构效度。结果表明，EASEL-3是一种心理测量学上可靠的测量方法，可以通过纤维肌痛和一般人群的离散情绪来评估进化的三方情感模型，并检查威胁、舒缓和驱动系统激活评分在人群中如何不同，并可能影响症状。讨论了今后的研究方向。

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来源期刊

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

6.30

自引率

5.60%

发文量

106

期刊介绍： Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy aims to keep clinical psychologists and psychotherapists up to date with new developments in their fields. The Journal will provide an integrative impetus both between theory and practice and between different orientations within clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy will be a forum in which practitioners can present their wealth of expertise and innovations in order to make these available to a wider audience. Equally, the Journal will contain reports from researchers who want to address a larger clinical audience with clinically relevant issues and clinically valid research.