The Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire Among Chinese Caregivers of Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background: Interpersonal emotion regulation is a culture-sensitive construct, but little research so far has investigated it in the Chinese culture, where collectivism is emphasized and interpersonal harmony is valued. Aims: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (IERQ) among Chinese caregiving parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Method: A group of 293 Chinese parents were recruited from two service centers for children with NDDs in central China. The participants completed the Chinese version of the IERQ and measures of conceptually related constructs (cognitive emotion regulation and quality of life). Results: Results of confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a bi-factor model was superior to the original four-factor model of the IERQ, implying cultural and contextual specificity of interpersonal emotion regulation among this parent group. The instrument exhibited satisfactory internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity with cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and explanatory power for quality of life beyond cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Additionally, Chinese caregivers tended to use less enhancing positive affect, soothing and social modeling when compared to American, Turkish and Iranian samples. Conclusions: To conclude, the Chinese version of the IERQ is a valid and reliable self-report measure which can be used to assess the ways Chinese parents utilize others to regulate their own emotions. Moreover, creating a socially expressive, acceptable, and inclusive atmosphere that can promote interpersonal emotion regulation may be crucial to improve their overall well-being.