Assessing Emotion Regulation in Children: Psychometric Properties of The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA)

Abstract Psychometric properties of the Emotion Regulation Scale for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA), an assessment of emotion regulation strategies, were examined among older children. The ERQ–CA was evaluated with 147 participants between 9 and 12 years old. Explorative factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were calculated twice within a four-month interval. We meticulously assessed internal consistency, convergent, and concurrent validity by analyzing the relationship between ERQ-CA scores and measurements of resilience and intrinsic motivation. Measurement invariance was tested for the pre- and post-test across gender, age group, intervention group, and longitudinally. A robust two-factor structure of cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) was found. Internal consistency was adequate, with Cronbach’s α = 0.76 for CR and α = 0.77 for ES. Test-retest reliability in four months was r = 0.50 for CR and r = 0.32 for ES. The ERQ-CA showed convergent and concurrent validity with established measures of resilience and motivation. The gender and age-based mean scores were consistent with those of previously reported studies. We found measurement invariance across gender at the pre-test and intervention groups at the pre-and post-test, indicating stability across responses to the ERQ-CA. These findings significantly contribute to the theoretical understanding of emotion regulation in children and this knowledge’s practical application in clinical, educational, and research settings.