Driving Offences and Emotion Regulation: A Psychometric Analysis of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ)

Background: Little is known about the role of emotion regulation in driving. This study analyzed the psychometric properties of one of the most commonly-used tests for the evaluation of emotion regulation in a drivers' sample. Methods: A total of 318 male drivers (M age = 41.6 years, SD = 11.1, age range 20-69 years, half with road traffic offences and half, matched controls), participated in the study by filling out the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Data analysis was carried out using the Rasch Rating Scale Model (RSM). Results: The performance of the response categories was inadequate. After collapsing the seven original response categories into three, the categories were functional, the unidimensionality requirement was met, and data-model fit was adequate. Both person reliability and item reliability were adequate for the two subscales of ERQ. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the cognitive reappraisal subscale. Conclusions: Given the adequate psychometric properties of the ERQ, it is suggested that the role of cognitive reappraisal in driving contexts be explored in depth.