Validation of the short version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Spanish children

Abstract

This study aimed to validate a short version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Spanish kids (CERQ-Sk) based on the 18-item version available for adults. A sample of 654 children aged 7–12 years completed the CERQ-Sk and tests for depression and anxiety measures. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 18-item version and the original nine-factor structure, which includes self-blame, acceptance, rumination, positive refocusing, refocus on planning, positive reappraisal, putting into perspective, catastrophizing, and other-blame (comparative fit index = .99, Tucker–Lewis index = .98, root mean square error of approximation = .02). Internal consistency was adequate (ordinal α = .80), and the eight-week stability of this version was moderate (intraclass correlation = .69). Criterion validity was supported by correlations among self-blame, rumination, and catastrophizing (positive) and among positive reappraisal and depression and anxiety symptoms (negative). Results suggest that the short version of the CERQ-Sk is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing these cognitive emotion regulation strategies during the middle childhood developmental period. Clinicians and researchers will benefit from this briefer acceptable version when time is not available for the 36-item version. This study offers preliminary results for the first short version of the CERQ for children.