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Development of the Parent Emotion Regulation Scale (PERS): Factor Structure and Psychometric Qualities

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Abstract

This study aims to develop a self-report measure based on a multidimensional conceptualization of the regulation of negative emotions in the context of parenting. We examined the factor structure, factorial invariance, internal consistency and construct validity of the newly developed measure, the Parent Emotion Regulation Scale (PERS). The sample was composed of 254 mothers of children aged 3 to 15 years old (M = 8.54, SD = 3.53) who participated in an online study. Exploratory factor analysis of the PERS yielded a four-factor structure with the following factors: parents’ orientation to the child’s emotions, parents’ avoidance of the child’s emotions, parents’ lack of emotional control and parents’ acceptance of the child’s and their own emotions. Confirmatory factorial analysis supported the four-factor model, showing an adequate fit for this structure. Additionally, the model displayed configural, metric, scalar and residual invariance across the children’s sex groups. Cronbach’s alpha values and mean inter-item correlations indicated an adequate internal consistency. Correlations between the PERS scale and the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) indicated that the different dimensions of parents’ emotion regulation were significantly associated with both positive and negative reactions to the children’s negative emotions. Furthermore, the emotion regulation dimensions showed incremental validity in the prediction of the child’s adjustment. This study provides preliminary support for the adequacy of this newly developed measure, although further studies are needed to establish its psychometric qualities in more diverse populations.

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Author Contributions

AIP designed the study, wrote the manuscript and performed data analyses, and LB designed the study and wrote the manuscript. MSR performed confirmatory factor analyses and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis and commented on the paper. TM was responsible for data collection and commented on the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, 1649-013, Lisboa, Portugal

    Ana Isabel Pereira, Luísa Barros, Magda Sofia Roberto & Teresa Marques

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  1. Ana Isabel Pereira
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  2. Luísa Barros
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  3. Magda Sofia Roberto
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  4. Teresa Marques
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Correspondence to Ana Isabel Pereira.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation.

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Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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Pereira, A.I., Barros, L., Roberto, M.S. et al. Development of the Parent Emotion Regulation Scale (PERS): Factor Structure and Psychometric Qualities. J Child Fam Stud 26, 3327–3338 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0847-9

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