French validation of the responses to positive affect scale

How people regulate their positive affect has been found to be key for mental health, while being implicated in mental health disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression. The goal of this study was to validate a French version of the Responses to Positive Affect Scale (RPA, Feldman et al., 2008), which provides a measure of two emotion regulation strategies to up-regulate positive affect (rumination) and down-regulate it (dampening). This online study was comprised of different questionnaires designed to analyse the psychometric properties of the RPA in French non-clinical populations. The proposed three-factor model shows an adequate fit to the data, with all approximate fit indices showing acceptable model fit. One item had a lower loading on the dampening factor and was excluded from the analyses. The three subscales of the RPA showed satisfactory internal consistency. The scale also demonstrates good convergent validity and acceptable test–retest validity. This online study can be associated with common limits of self-reported measures. Moreover, our results should be replicated in future studies to validate its discriminant capacity and measurement invariance. In conclusion, the French version of the RPA can be considered reliable for assessing how people upregulate and downregulate positive emotions. Contrary to other measures of emotion regulation, the RPA focus specifically on positive affect and might be particularly relevant in the context of bipolar disorder, depression and other mental health disorders characterised by maladaptive regulation of positive emotions.