Journal article
Gender-based differential item function for the difficulties in emotion regulation scale
Personality and individual differences, v 92
Apr 2016
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Emotion dysregulation is a mechanism central to the development and maintenance of various psychological disorders. Notably, men and women may differ in their experience of emotion regulation; for instance, women generally report more frequent use of problematic emotion regulation strategies. While considering the possibility that true gender differences in emotion regulation exist, it is also important to ensure that measures assessing the process of emotion regulation are not biased toward one group over the other. The current study examined differential item functioning (DIF) in a commonly used, 36-item measure of emotion dysregulation – the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Participants (N=679, 48.3% women) completed the DERS. Results demonstrated statistically-significant DIF in several of the items; two items met more stringent criteria for clinically-significant DIF. Findings suggest that further evaluation of emotion regulation measures may yield insight regarding the assessment of gender differences for emotion regulation and related constructs.
•Emotion regulation differences across gender may result in measurement bias•Men and women (N=679) completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)•Analyses examined gender-based differential item functioning (DIF) on the 36-item DERS•Two items demonstrated statistically and clinically significant gender-based DIF•Additional work should examine emotion regulation measures for potential item bias
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Gender-based differential item function for the difficulties in emotion regulation scale
- Creators
- Lisa M. Anderson - Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Social Sciences 399, Albany, NY 12222, USAErin E. Reilly - Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Social Sciences 399, Albany, NY 12222, USASasha Gorrell - Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Social Sciences 399, Albany, NY 12222, USAKatherine Schaumberg - Drexel UniversityDrew A. Anderson - Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Social Sciences 399, Albany, NY 12222, USALois M Anderson - Office of Research (and Innovation) (2013-)
- Publication Details
- Personality and individual differences, v 92
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Office of Research (and Innovation)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000369470900015
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84951771949
- Other Identifier
- 991019173516904721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Social