Affective balance as a psychoeducational monitoring tool in university students: A measurement procedure
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24265/liberabit.2026.v32n1.1100Keywords:
affective balance, classroom, educational context, university students, emotion regulationAbstract
Background: University students often live together for extended periods, which fosters the development of an emotional microclimate within the group. In this context, the types of emotions shared (both positive and negative affect) and how they are managed (emotional regulation) can lead to emotional imbalances within the group. Measuring and analyzing emotional balance could be valuable in educational settings due to its connection to students' well-being and academic performance. Objective: This study proposes and develops a novel procedure for measuring and analyzing emotional balance and explores its relationship with emotional regulation. Method: After developing the step-by-step procedure for measuring and analyzing emotional balance, it was applied to two groups of university students (G1: 30 students; G2: 25 students), aged 18 to 26 years. Participants completed questionnaires to measure affect (PANAS) and emotional dysregulation (DERS). Results: No significant emotional imbalances were observed within the groups. However, G1 exhibited higher levels of negative affect compared to G2, which were directly and moderately associated with greater difficulties in emotional regulation. Conclusion: The proposed procedure provides a valuable tool for identifying emotional imbalances, which could guide educational decisions, such as implementing psychoeducational interventions aimed at promoting students' emotional well-being.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Fernando Gordillo León, Ángel De-Juanas Oliva, Alberto Valentín Centeno, Lilia Mestas Hernández, Germán Gálvez García
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