Emotion Regulation Questionnaire
Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________
Instructions: Please check the corresponding number that indicates how much you agree
with each item by using the following scale:
1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Slightly Disagree
4 = Neutral
5 = Slightly Agree
6 = Agree
7 = Strongly Agree
Statement 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1. When I want to feel more
positive emotions (such as
joy or amusement), I change
my thoughts.
2. I keep my emotions to myself.
3. When I'm faced with a
stressful situation, I think
about it in a way that helps
me stay calm.
4. I control my emotions by not
expressing them.
5. When I want to feel less
negative emotion (such as
sadness or anger), I change
my thoughts.
6. I control my emotions by
changing the way I think
about the situation I'm in.
7. When feeling positive
emotions, I am careful not to
express them.
8. When I'm faced with a
situation that could upset me,
I think about it in a way that
helps me stay calm.
9. I control my emotions by
changing what I think about.
10. When I feel negative
emotions, I make sure not to
express them.
Score:
Score interpretation:
Items 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9 assess cognitive reappraisal. Items 2, 4, 7, and 10 assess expressive
suppression.
For cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, scores can range from 6 to 42 and 4 to
28, respectively. A higher score indicates greater use of that emotion regulation strategy.
1. Cognitive Reappraisal: This form of cognitive-emotional regulation involves changing the
way one thinks about potentially emotion-eliciting events to alter their emotional impact.
Essentially, it is a way of reinterpreting a situation to decrease its emotional impact. For
example, if someone makes a rude comment to you, rather than letting it upset you, you
might tell yourself that the person is just having a bad day and is taking it out on others,
which has nothing to do with you.
2. Expressive Suppression: This is another emotion regulation strategy that involves
inhibiting or reducing the external signs of your inner emotional state. It's concealing your
emotions, like keeping a poker face. For instance, if you're feeling upset during a meeting
at work, you might try to suppress any signs of this emotion by maintaining a neutral facial
expression.
Remember, these are not necessarily 'good' or 'bad' strategies. The effectiveness of either
strategy can depend on a range of factors, including the specific situation, the intensity of the
emotion, the individual's overall emotional profile, and cultural norms. Also, flexibly employing
a range of strategies as needed is often more beneficial than relying on any one strategy.
