# Psychometric evaluation of the Geneva Sentimentality Scale in Chinese college students

## TL;DR

This study adapts the Geneva Sentimentality Scale for Chinese college students, confirming its reliability and validity in measuring emotional responses.

## Contribution

The study provides a culturally adapted and validated version of the GSS for Chinese college students.

## Key findings

- The Chinese GSS includes three factors: emotional labels, tears of joy, and warm feelings in the chest.
- The scale shows high internal consistency and stability over time.
- The three-factor model demonstrates good fit and measurement invariance across genders.

## Abstract

The Geneva Sentimentality Scale (GSS) measures the experience of being moved and its effects on behavior. Despite the prevalence of this emotional response, it has not been extensively studied in China. This study aims to adapt and revise the GSS for Chinese college students to assess its cross‐cultural consistency. A sample of 1328 students aged 18–24 years participated in the study, with 127 randomly selected for retesting after an 8‐week interval. Exploratory factor analysis reveals that the Chinese version of the GSS includes three factors (emotional labels, tears of joy, and warm feelings in the chest), with a total of nine items. The internal consistency coefficients for the three factors and the overall scale are high, and the total score remains stable over time. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) shows that the three‐factor model has a good fit. Multigroup CFA indicates measurement invariance across genders. The results also demonstrate good discriminant and convergent validity for the scale. Overall, the GSS is a reliable and flexible tool for assessing the emotion of being moved among Chinese college students.