Adolescents’ Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire–Extended (AERSQ-E)

Abstract

The Adolescents’ Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire–Extended (AERSQ-E), developed by Rådman, Claréus, & Daukantaitė (2024), is a significant revision and extension of the original AERSQ (Zhou et al., 2020). This self-report inventory is designed specifically to measure various emotion regulation (ER) strategies utilized by individuals during adolescence when managing negative affect.

The AERSQ-E was modified primarily to enhance its overall psychometric properties and notably incorporates a newly added strategy: aggressive outlet, which is particularly relevant for adolescents who engage in self-injurious behavior. The complete scale consists of 23 items distributed across six distinct subscales, with its factor structure rigorously validated through both Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses.

Keywords

Rumination, Positive Reorientation, Creative Expression, Aggressive Outlet, Social Support, Distraction, Negative Thinking, Adolescent Emotion Regulation, Extended Version, Test Revision, Cognitive Strategies

Authors

Rådman, Gustaf, Claréus, Benjamin, Daukantaitė, Daiva

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Adolescents’ Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire–Extended (AERSQ-E) is to provide a comprehensive and psychometrically sound measure for assessing the diverse emotion regulation strategies employed by individuals during adolescence (ages 12 to 20).

The measure is specifically tailored to capture how adolescents respond to and attempt to manage negative emotional states, such as sadness, disappointment, and nervousness. By identifying specific strategies—ranging from adaptive coping mechanisms like Positive Reorientation to potentially maladaptive ones like Aggressive Outlet—the AERSQ-E serves as a valuable tool for psychological assessment and intervention planning.

Construct

The AERSQ-E measures the psychological construct of Emotion Regulation Strategies, defined as the processes by which individuals influence the occurrence, experience, and expression of their emotions. In the context of the AERSQ-E, this construct is operationalized across six distinct dimensions, reflecting both internal cognitive processes and external behavioral responses used to cope with negative affect.

The scale captures six specific factors: Rumination/Negative Thinking, Positive Reorientation, Creative Expression, Aggressive Outlet, Social Support, and Distraction. The inclusion of Aggressive Outlet is a key feature, capturing externalizing and potentially harmful responses that are clinically significant during adolescence.

Validity

The validity of the AERSQ-E was supported through structural validation and assessments of convergent and discriminant validity.

The factor structure was confirmed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) following an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), establishing that the six-factor model fit the empirical data acceptably. Convergent validity was demonstrated by observing expected associations with mental health outcomes. Specifically, the maladaptive strategy of Rumination/Negative Thinking showed strong positive correlations with mental health issues, while Positive Reorientation was linked to favorable psychological adjustment and positive outcomes, supporting the scale’s theoretical underpinnings.

Reliability

The reliability of the AERSQ-E was established through measures of internal consistency and test-retest stability.

Internal consistency, measured using Cronbach’s Alpha, showed acceptable or high values for five of the six factors, suggesting high homogeneity among items within those subscales. The Distraction subscale was the only factor with a lower alpha value, although still acceptable in context. Furthermore, test-retest reliability demonstrated medium to large correlations for all factors, indicating that the scale provides consistent and stable measurements of emotion regulation strategies over time.

Factor Analysis

The scale’s development relied on rigorous factor analysis methodology to confirm its structure. Both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed, supporting the theoretical model.

The analyses confirmed a robust structure comprising 23 items loading onto six distinct factors: Rumination/Negative Thinking, Positive Reorientation, Creative Expression, Aggressive Outlet, Social Support, and Distraction. The acceptable fit achieved by the final CFA model validates the use of these six subscales for measuring emotion regulation in this age group.

Instrument

Test Type: Revision

Format: The AERSQ-E is an Inventory/Questionnaire consisting of 23 items. Respondents rate their frequency of engagement in the listed behaviors and ways of thinking when experiencing negative emotions using a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The administration method is Electronic.

Language Available: English, Swedish

Population Group: Human (Male and Female)

Age Group: Childhood (birth-12 yrs); School Age (6-12 yrs); Adolescence (13-17 yrs); Adulthood (18 yrs & older); Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs). Primary validation sample was adolescent community samples (Ages 12-20 Years).

Population Details: Respondents were Adolescent Community Samples (Ages 12-20 Years) located in Sweden.

Test Methodology: Test Validity; Convergent Validity; Discriminant Validity; Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Test-Retest Reliability; Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Exploratory Factor Analysis; Measurement Invariance

Keywords

Emotional Regulation, Test Forms, Adolescent Characteristics, Emotional Assessment, Test Revision, Cognitive Strategies, Negative Affect, Psychometric Properties, Aggressive Behavior

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Rådman, Gustaf [ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7042-0196]; Daukantaitė, Daiva [ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1994-041X]

Affiliation Email addresses: Daiva Daukantaitė: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Lund University, Sweden

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 2024

Commercial Use: No

Fee Required: No

Licensing: The scale is associated with a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0), allowing use provided appropriate credit is given. Licensing details are available here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

Reference’s

Rådman, G., Claréus, B., & Daukantaitė, D. (2024). Adolescents’ Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire–extended: Further development and associations with mental health problems in adolescence. Assessment, 31(2), 482–501. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911231164619

Items of the Adolescents’ Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire–Extended (AERSQ-E)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

This questionnaire assesses how adolescents regulate their emotions. It uses a 5-point Likert scale where respondents indicate how often they engage in each strategy whenever they feel “sad, disappointed, nervous, afraid, or experience other negative or distressing feelings.”

Response Format:

• 1 = Never

• 2 = Rarely

• 3 = Sometimes

• 4 = Often

• 5 = Very often

Scales and Items:

1. Rumination/Negative Thinking

Item	Item Description
R1	Think about things I have said or done (again and again)
R2	Think that I am bad or worthless
R3	Worry about what others might think of me
R4	Believe that others have it much better off than me

2. Positive Reorientation

Item	Item Description
P1	Try to find something positive in what has happened
P2	Move on and try to do things better next time
P3	Try in a calm manner to solve what made me feel bad
P4	Stay calm and think that it will pass

3. Creative Expression

Item	Item Description
C1	Create something that expresses how I feel
C2	Write texts (e.g., stories, song lyrics, poems)
C3	Draw or paint
C4	Write down thoughts about how I feel

4. Aggressive Outlet

Item	Item Description
A1	Punch or kick on things
A2	Try to find something to break
A3	Argue or fight with people around me
A4	Want to hurt others (physically or mentally)

5. Social Support

Item	Item Description
S1	Tell someone else how I feel
S2	Seek support and comfort in others
S3	Ask others for advice or help
S4	Seek physical contact (e.g., a hug)

6. Distraction

Item	Item Description
D1	Try to think about something else
D2	Distract myself with something to do
D3	Try to forget that which makes me feel bad