Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - DERS-36

Technical Manual

Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Created: January 25, 2017

Last Modified: January 06, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC

Background

This script implements a computerized version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) as described in:

Gratz, K. L. & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41-54.

Duration

4 minutes

Overview

36 5-point Likert questions loading on 6 subscales

Instructions

Slightly adapted for the computer - can be edited under section Editable Parameters

Summary Data

File Name: DERS_summary.iqdat' (Inquisit Lab: one data file per participant)

Data Fields

NameDescription
inquisit.version Inquisit version number
computer.platform Device platform: win | mac |ios | android
startDate Date the session was run
startTime Time the session was run
subjectId Participant ID
groupId Group number
sessionId Session number
elapsedTime Session duration in ms
completed 0 = Test was not completed
1 = Test was completed
total Sum of all 6 subscale scores
nonAccept Nonacceptance of emotional responses (NONACCEPT): 11, 12, 21, 23, 25, 29
goals Difficulty engaging in Goal-directed behavior (GOALS): 13, 18, 20R, 26, 33
impulse Impulse control difficulties (IMPULSE): 3, 14, 19, 24R, 27, 32
awareness Lack of emotional awareness (AWARENESS): 2R, 6R, 8R, 10R, 17R, 34R
stRategies Limited access to emotion regulation strategies (STRATEGIES): 15, 16, 22R, 28, 30, 31, 35, 36
clarity Lack of emotional clarity (CLARITY): 1R, 4, 5, 7R, 9
**”R” indicates reverse scored item
+ individual responses to the 36 questions

Raw Data

File Name: ders.iqdat

Data Fields

NameDescription
date Date the session was run
time Time the session was run
subject, group, session With the current subject/groupnumber/session id
build Inquisit version number
q*_response Response given (in assigned values)
1 = almost never
5 = almost always
R=reversed scored questions using scale 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
q*_latency How much time (in ms) the participant spent on the surveyPage with this particular question (the last time this particular surveyPage was visited)

Parameters

The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.

NameDescriptionDefault
pageInstructions The instructions that appear on every surveyPage