Psychometric Evaluation of the Process Model of Emotion Regulation Questionnaire in the Portuguese Context

Validated instruments capturing the full complexity of emotion regulation remain scarce. Grounded in Gross’s process model, this study examined the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Process Model of Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (PMERQ). In a cross-sectional design, the translated 83-item PMERQ was administered online to two independent quota-based samples of Portuguese adults (Study 1: N = 254; Study 2: N = 270; mean age about 46 years; about 50% male; about 48% with higher education). In Study 1, exploratory factor analyses indicated a six-factor solution reflecting broad regulatory domains, while a 12-factor solution reproduced the theoretical dimensions with partial overlap among adjacent strategies; internal consistency was acceptable to good. In Study 2, the theoretical 12-factor structure was tested through confirmatory factor analysis. After data-driven refinement, a 45-item version showed adequate fit and acceptable to good reliability, with measurement invariance across gender (configural, metric, scalar). Associations with emotion regulation, emotional intelligence, well-being, distress, and aggression supported convergent and concurrent criterion validity, and associations with personality partially supported nomological validity. These findings provide preliminary support for the PMERQ in the Portuguese context.