Development and validation of the emotional regulation inventory (ERI) using the Rasch model

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Measurement

Background:

• Emotional regulation is crucial for mental health, cognitive development, and academic success.
• Existing measurement tools lack precision and generalizability, often focusing on specific strategies rather than the multidimensional nature of emotional regulation.
• This study addresses the need for a psychometrically robust assessment tool for high school students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Emotional Regulation Inventory (ERI) for high school students.
• To ensure the ERI is a psychometrically sound instrument using the Rasch model.
• To provide a multidimensional assessment of emotional regulation strategies.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative, cross-sectional survey involving 559 Indonesian high school students (ages 14-18).
• The ERI was developed based on Gross's three-dimensional framework and refined to 40 items.
• Rasch model-based psychometric testing was employed using Winstep software to analyze data from a four-point Likert scale.

Main Results:

• The ERI demonstrated unidimensionality and high reliability (person reliability = 0.89, item reliability = 0.99).
• The instrument showed no significant bias across demographic groups.
• The Wright Map confirmed effective item distribution for precise measurement.

Conclusions:

• The ERI is a valid and reliable tool for assessing emotional regulation in high school students.
• Findings suggest integrating the ERI into school curricula to address cultural and social influences on emotional regulation.
• Future research should investigate cross-cultural applications of the ERI to enhance student resilience and academic success.