Beliefs about emotions are closely linked to emotion regulation, psychological adjustment, and mental health. While only a few scales exist to measure these beliefs, none effectively evaluate the overarching dimensions and valence (positive vs. negati...
Beliefs about emotions are closely linked to emotion regulation, psychological adjustment, and mental health. While only a few scales exist to measure these beliefs, none effectively evaluate the overarching dimensions and valence (positive vs. negative) of emotions. To fill this gap, the Emotion Beliefs Questionnaire - Korean version (EBQ-K) was developed. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the EBQ-K among 880 Korean adults (440 men and 440 women, with 220 participants in each age group). Various measures were employed, including the DASS-12, eating attitudes, avoidant personality disorder scale, and existing emotion regulation and belief assessments. The findings demonstrated strong internal consistency, and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a four-factor structure that aligns with the original scale. Additionally, convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed, along with measurement invariance across age groups. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the EBQ-K sub-factors significantly predicted levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. These results indicate that the EBQ-K is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing emotion beliefs, with potential applications in clinical and counseling contexts.