The previous chapters described the nature and the severity of some of the problems associated with the measurement of affect, mood, and emotion in health-behavioral research (Chapter 1), outlined a framework for defining and distinguishing between these three constructs (Chapter 2), and summarized certain issues of fundamental significance for the conceptualization and assessment of affective constructs, namely whether these states should be considered as distinct entities or as positioned along dimensions (Chapter 3) and whether pleasure and displeasure are independent or polar opposites (Chapter 4). This review culminated in a proposal for a three-tiered system for justifying the selection of a measure (Chapter 5).

In this and the remaining chapters, the background provided so far will be used in critiquing some of the most frequently used measures in health-behavioral research. Emphasis is placed on the conceptual bases and the developmental histories of the measures, the significance and implications of which are all too often overlooked. The aim of this presentation is to sensitize researchers to approach each measure critically, raise awareness of the relative strengths and limitations of each measure, and offer key references for further study.