Coping
Handling emotions
10 questions · 3 min
People handle their feelings in many different ways. This questionnaire looks at two of the most studied: changing how you think about a situation so it feels different, and keeping your feelings from showing on the outside.
Each one gets its own score. Neither is always good or always bad. What helps depends on the situation, and most people use both at different times.
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What it shows
How often you use two common ways of managing your emotions.
What it doesn’t
A judgement of whether you handle emotions well or badly, or a diagnosis.
Who it’s for
This test may suit you if you’re curious about your habits with emotions: whether you tend to look at an upsetting situation in a different way, or hold your feelings in so others can’t see them. It can be useful if you’re learning about emotions in therapy, coaching or on your own.
It only takes a few minutes, so it’s easy to take alongside other tests about coping and stress for a fuller picture.
Questions people ask
What does the ERQ measure?
It measures how often you use two ways of managing emotions. Cognitive reappraisal means changing how you think about a situation so it feels different; expressive suppression means keeping your feelings from showing on the outside.
How long does the ERQ take?
There are 10 statements, and most people finish in about 3 minutes. For each one, you choose how much you agree, from “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree”.
How is the ERQ scored?
Each answer is scored from 1 to 7. Your score for rethinking situations is the average of six statements, and your score for keeping feelings in is the average of the other four, so both run from 1 to 7. There’s no overall score and there are no official cut-offs.
Is one way of handling emotions better?
There’s no good or bad result here. Keeping feelings in can be the right choice in some moments, and rethinking a situation isn’t always possible or helpful. The scores describe your habits, not whether you handle emotions well or badly.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. The ERQ doesn’t diagnose anything. If your emotions often feel hard to manage, a doctor or therapist is the right person to talk it through with.
How often can I retake it?
About every six months. These habits tend to change slowly, so a longer gap gives a more meaningful comparison.
Where it comes from
Developed by psychologists James Gross of Stanford University and Oliver John of the University of California, Berkeley, in 2003.
Emotion Regulation Questionnaire
On iPhone or iPad?
Sprout is an app there too, and this link opens the test straight away if you have it.
Coming soon to the App Store