The Behavioral Dysregulation Scale: Initial psychometric properties of a self-report measure of behavioral emotion dysregulation

Abstract

The role of emotion dysregulation in the development and maintenance of transdiagnostic psychopathology is well established. Although behavioral acts often serve a regulatory function, there have been few systematic attempts to reliably measure multiple, functionally similarly forms of behavioral dysregulation via self-report. Using student (N = 776) and community (N = 494) samples, we examined the initial psychometric properties of a measure of behavioral emotion dysregulation, the Behavioral Dysregulation Scale (BDRS). Internal consistency was examined, and confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the presence of a rationally derived one-factor structure of the BDRS in both samples. Construct validity was assessed using bivariate correlations. We obtained a unidimensional, 13-item measure of behavioral dysregulation with adequate factor structure and good construct validity. Across both samples, a one-factor solution fit the data with acceptable to strong factor loadings. The BDRS was correlated with theoretically related but distinct constructs, including strong negative associations with measures of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation and small to moderate positive associations with measures of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation. The results demonstrate preliminary support for the BDRS as a reliable and valid measure of behavioral emotion dysregulation with implications for better assessing the regulatory function of common maladaptive behaviors.