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Emotion Regulation Scale and Mindfulness Scale in School Aged Children: Construction and Validation of French Versions

Child Psychiatry & Human Development volume 53, pages 1004–1017 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Few measuring scales seem to evaluate Mindfulness and emotion regulation in school aged children. This article aims to present four studies describing the construction and validation of two French measuring scales for children: French Emotion Regulation Scale for Children (FERS-C) and Mindfulness Scale for Children French version (MSC-F). We discuss the elaboration and choice of the items for each measure, examine their phrasing and comprehensibility from the children’s standpoint. The main sample consisted of 421 non-clinical, 6 to 12 years old children, who consented to fill out the measuring scales in order to test the factor structure. Additionally, we assessed and confirmed temporal stability and determined convergent validity. Results support that both scales appear to be reliable emotion regulation and mindfulness measures for school aged children. Results also reveal a relevant factor structure for both measures. The results of these studies support that the two scales are appropriate and useful measures of mindfulness and emotion regulation capacities for school aged children. In conclusion, we call for further research to improve and develop measures assessing child mindfulness skills in both clinical and research contexts.

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Acknowledgements

Special appreciation is expressed to the children and adolescents who participated, as well as to their teachers and parents; all of whom made these studies possible.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UR 4430 Clipsyd, Department of Psychology, Université Paris Nanterre, 200, avenue de la République, 92001, Nanterre Cedex, France

    Rafika Zebdi, Jessica Monsillion, Ségolène Burgy & Marie Rasmussen

  2. Hôpital Raymond-Poincaré, 104 boulevard Raymond-Poincaré, 92380, Garches, France

    Eve Plateau

  3. Psychology Laboratory: Relational dynamics and Identity Processes (Psy-DREPI EA 7458), Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Esplanade Erasme, BP 27877-21078, Dijon Cedex, France

    Baptiste Lignier

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  1. Rafika Zebdi
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  2. Eve Plateau
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  3. Jessica Monsillion
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  4. Ségolène Burgy
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  5. Marie Rasmussen
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  6. Baptiste Lignier
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Contributions

RZ designed the study, assisted with sample collection and data analyses, wrote the paper, and edited the final manuscript. EP designed the study, and collaborated in writing and editing the final manuscript. BL performed the main data analyses, and wrote part of the final version of the paper. JM collaborated in translating the final manuscript. JM, SB and MR assisted with sample collection and collaborated in the editing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Rafika Zebdi.

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All procedures performed in these studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of our institutional research committee (Université Paris Nanterre) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Appendix: “French Version of Emotional Regulation Scale for Children (FERS-C) and Mindfulness Scale for Children (MSC-F)”

Appendix: “French Version of Emotional Regulation Scale for Children (FERS-C) and Mindfulness Scale for Children (MSC-F)”

FERS-C/EREE: Echelle de Régulation Émotionnelle pour les Enfants

  1. 1.

    Presque jamais

  2. 2.

    Quelques fois

  3. 3.

    Presque toujours

  4. 4.

    Je comprends bien mes émotions.

  5. 5.

    Je casse des choses quand je suis énervé ou en colère. ®

  6. 6.

    Je fais attention à comment je me sens.

  7. 7.

    Je crie et je me roule par terre lorsque je suis fâché. ®

  8. 8.

    J’arrive à trouver une façon d’aller mieux lorsque je suis fâché.

  9. 9.

    Je sais toujours comment je me sens.

  10. 10.

    J’arrive à finir mon travail même si je suis fâché.

  11. 11.

    J’essaie de comprendre ce qu’il m’arrive quand je suis en colère.

  12. 12.

    Quand je suis fâché, je ne sais plus quoi faire. ®

  13. 13.

    Cela me met en colère contre moi-même d’être fâché. ®

  14. 14.

    Je ne sais pas toujours ce que je ressens. ®

  15. 15.

    J’arrive à penser à d’autres choses même si je suis fâché.

  16. 16.

    Je pleure facilement lorsque je n’arrive pas à faire quelque chose. ®

  17. 17.

    J’abandonne vite lorsque je n’arrive pas à faire quelque chose. ®

  18. 18.

    Quand je suis fâché, je ne contrôle plus mon comportement. ®

MSC-F/EPCE : Echelle de Pleine Conscience pour Enfants

Une seule croix par ligne

1. Je fais tomber ou je casse des objets car je ne fais pas attention, ou parce que je pense à d’autres choses

2. J’essaie d’arrêter d’avoir des pensées ou des émotions que je n’aime pas. R

3. J’ai du mal à rester concentré sur ce que je fais au moment présent

4. Quand je vais quelque part je marche rapidement pour y aller sans faire attention à ce que je ressens ou à ce qui se passe autour de moi (par exemple quand je vais à l’école, au parc, au magasin, etc.)

5. Je m’inquiète du passé et du futur au lieu de penser aux choses qui arrivent juste maintenant

6. Je mange machinalement, sans vraiment savoir ce que je suis en train de manger

7. Cela m’embête d’avoir certaines pensées

8. J’écoute mes parents tout en faisant d’autres choses en même temps

9. Je pense à plein de choses en même temps et ça m’empêche d’être attentif à ce que je fais. R

10. Je fais des choses pour ne pas faire attention à certaines de mes pensées

11. Cela m’embête d’avoir certaines émotions

12. Je pense qu’il y a des émotions ou des sensations chez moi que je ne devrais pas ressentir

  1. R reversed item

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Zebdi, R., Plateau, E., Monsillion, J. et al. Emotion Regulation Scale and Mindfulness Scale in School Aged Children: Construction and Validation of French Versions. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 53, 1004–1017 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01182-x

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Keywords

  • Assessment
  • Child and adolescent
  • Emotional regulation
  • Measures
  • Mindfulness