The FlexER-Scale: A new Self-report Measure of Individual Differences in Emotion Regulation Flexibility

Previous research on emotion regulation abilities has primarily focused on individual strategies and their association with (a lack of) well-being and psychopathology. Recent frameworks add emphasis to the importance of a context-sensitive and goal-dependent approach to emotion regulation, defining emotion regulation flexibility as the ability to adaptively adjust emotion regulation strategies based on contextual demands and personal goals. Despite growing evidence for its relevance in psychological well-being and psychopathology, a concise self-report measure capturing trait-level, strategy-independent ER flexibility has been lacking. To address this gap, we developed the Flexible Emotion Regulation Scale (FlexER-Scale), designed to assess the context- and goal-dependent variability of emotion regulation strategies. The scale was derived from theoretical models of emotion regulation flexibility and validated using data from three independent samples (N = 857). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) examined the scale’s structure, and criterion validity was assessed via correlation with the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. The final 10-item FlexER-Scale demonstrated good psychometric properties, including satisfactory item discrimination and high internal consistency (α = .85). EFA suggested a two-factor structure, differentiating the ability to upregulate negative and downregulate positive emotions as a separate factor. The FlexER-Scale correlated significantly with psychological well-being (r = −.244, p < .001), supporting criterion validity. The FlexER-Scale provides a novel, psychometrically sound tool for assessing trait-level emotion regulation flexibility. It offers a concise alternative to existing assessments by capturing adaptive regulatory variability without restricting specific strategies. Future research should further examine its construct validity, as well as its longitudinal stability, predictive and ecological validity to further elucidate its role in psychological well-being and resilience.