Are You Ready to Have Fun? The Spanish State Form of the State-Trait-Cheerfulness Inventory.

ABSTRACT

Although cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood as traits have been widely studied as the basis of sense of humor, data are scarce regarding the same dimensions as states. In this study, we adapted the state form of the State-Trait-Cheerfulness Inventory (STCI-S) into Spanish. At the same time, we empirically tested new predictions. We assessed 5 independent samples accounting for 1,029 participants (647 women) with ages ranging from 18 to 78 years. We confirmed the 3-dimensional structure as well as a strong measurement invariance between men and women. The internal consistency of the scale was satisfactory, the expected intercorrelations emerged, and the convergence between states and traits was corroborated. We also confirmed that the STCI-S's items were sensitive to affective changes in the environment. A longitudinal stability study of the state-trait dimensions using latent state-trait (LST) models revealed that all three trait measures capture mostly stable interindividual differences, with occasion-specific effects mainly in the state dimensions. Finally, we found that the STCI-S dimensions were related to state well-being. The results suggest that the STCI-S is a valid option for measuring the state basis of sense of humor in the Spanish population.