I love you but I can’t say: adaptation of the Measure of Verbally Expressed Emotion (MoVEE) to Turkish and investigation of psychometric properties

Abstract

This study aims to adapt the scale of “The Measure of Verbally Expressed Emotion” into Turkish and examine its psychometric properties. 614 participants were between the ages of 18–65. In the study, the Expression of Emotions Scale was used for convergent validity, and the Emotional Responsiveness Scale was used for divergent validity. According to the exploratory factor analysis, the scale has a 17-item and five-factor structure that explains approximately 66% of the total variance, and according to the confirmatory factor analysis, the goodness-of-fit values of the five-factor structure are acceptable (χ2/df = 2.98, RMSEA = 0.059, GFI = 0.94, CFI = 0.84, SRMR = 0.050). This scale, which evaluates the experience before expressing emotion, is valid and reliable for Turkish use. Expressed emotions compared on gender, education level, working and health status. It was observed that those with a psychiatric diagnosis were less comfortable expressing romantic love, and those with chronic diseases were less comfortable expressing happiness. Adapted scale will contribute to both research and practical use by using it in clinical, social psychology, and therapy studies.