Development and validation of the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation for Couples Scale (SIERC) in the Spanish population

Antecedents: Interpersonal emotional regulation (IER) is the deliberate attempt to influence others’ emotions. There is not enough research on IER in the context of romantic couples. Aim: The aim of the present study was to develop and validate an instrument to assess couples’ IER and understanding its functioning at both an individual and dyadic level. Method: Participants were 764 adults and 91 dyads. Three studies were carried out: first, to study the psychometric properties of the scale and its validity; second, to understand the functioning of the scale at a dyadic level; third, to analyse the predictive capacity of the instrument. Results: Our 11-item scale has four factors: observe, ask, validate, and soothe feelings. These factors are doubly evaluated: as an agent (SIERC-A) and as a target (SIERC-B). The scale showed good psychometric properties and adequate internal consistency. It presents convergent validity with emotional competences, and divergent validity with emotional dysregulation and insecure attachment. At a dyadic level, there is an actor-partner effect of IER on couple adjustment. Finally, IER seems to predict relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Discussion: This new instrument can be a useful tool for assessment and intervention in couple therapy and research.