The dysregulation of the “Behavioural Activation System”: An independent dimension

Dysregulation of the Behavioural Activation System (BAS) is considered to a core vulnerability factor for bipolar affective disorders. To date, there is no self-report measurement that is aimed to assess this dysregulation independently from interindividual differences in the sensitivity of the BAS. Based upon the BIS/BAS-Scales (Carver & White, 1994) we developed a scale assessing the dysregulation of the BAS (DYS scale). One-hundred-seventy people completed the new inventory and – for validation – the PANAS and the HCL-32. The factor analysis suggested a three-factor solution. The newly generated items loaded on a common factor, thus confirming a dimension independent of BAS and BIS. Positive correlations between the BAS scale and positive affect and between the BIS scale and negative affect were found. The DYS scale was unrelated to current affect as postulated. Using the HCL-32 people with probable bipolar disorders showed significantly higher BIS but not BAS scores, and there was a trend for elevated scores on the dysregulation scale.