A short version of the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire: psychometric properties in an Italian student sample.

Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) is a largely used tool to assess cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The objective of this study is to validate the Italian 18-item short version of the CERQ (CERQ-S) and to test its psychometric properties. Participants (n=442; Mage=21.12; SD=3.69; 69.1% females) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires including the CERQ-S, the emotional regulation questionnaire (ERQ) and the multidimensional perfectionism scale (MPS). In order to confirm the original CERQ-S nine factor structure, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was computed. Cronbach’s alphas were computed to examine the internal consistency of each subscale. Criterion validity was gathered via the analysis of the correlations with the ERQ and the MPS. Factorial invariances tests across age were computed including an additional adolescent sample (n=256; Mage=14.81; SD=0.59; 55,5% males). CFA confirmed the nine-factor structure. All fit indices suggested a great fit to the data:χ2(99)=136.73; CFI=0.982; TLI=0.975; SRMR=0.030; RMSEA=0.029. Except for rumination (.65), all subscales had an acceptable (.70) or greater reliability. ERQ reappraisal score was associated with the CERQ-S positive reappraisal (r=.409; p<.001). The discriminant validity of the scale was confirmed by several non-significant correlations with the MPS facets. Configural, metric and scalar invariance were reached. Compared to adolescents, young adults reported higher latent means on acceptance, rumination, refocus on planning and positive reappraisal dimensions, while scored lower on positive refocusing dimension. The brevity of this tool and its good psychometric properties suggest that it could be a useful screening tool in both clinical and research practice. Additionally, the factor structure emerged as invariant across age, suggesting that the CERQ-S underlying constructs are structurally similar across the developmental spectrum from adolescence to young adulthood.