This findings of this study of the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) support the clinical utility of the TEPS for anhedonic-related psychopathology risk assessment in adolescence.
The findings of this study testing the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) provide preliminary support for reliable cross-group interpretations of anticipatory and consummatory anhedonic predispositions as measured through the TEPS. Together, results provide support for the clinical utility of the TEPS for anhedonic-related psychopathology risk assessment in adolescence. TEPS is a popular self-report measure for assessing anhedonic predispositions. This study of a diverse adolescent sample found evidence for a two-factor structure (anticipatory pleasure and consummatory pleasure), as well as measurement invariance across time, gender, and race/ethnicity. TEPS is a self-report measure designed to assess anticipatory and consummatory pleasure, two facets of anhedonic predispositions. Despite its widespread use, the factor structure of the TEPS has yet to be tested in adolescents, who are at increased risk for psychopathology and undergoing rapid changes in reward-related processes. In response, the present study aimed to test the factor structure and measurement invariance of the TEPS across time, gender, and race/ethnicity in a diverse adolescent sample. Adolescents (N = 441; Mage = 14.98; 223 female) who identified as either Black (37%), Hispanic (37%), or White (26%), completed the TEPS at Baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups. Factor analyses were conducted to examine the factor structure of the TEPS, while configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance were tested across time and demographics. Findings supported the two-factor structure of the TEPS, above and beyond other conceptualizations (e.g., 4-factor, bifactor), full longitudinal invariance, and partial invariance across gender and race/ethnicity. Examination of mean differences suggested no temporal, gender nor race/ethnic differences for anticipatory pleasure. For consummatory pleasure, no differences were found for gender, but results suggested higher levels over time and lower levels in Black adolescents.