Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) — Emotional Intelligence Test
Assesses strategies like reappraisal and suppression for managing emotions.
The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) is a validated Emotional Intelligence test designed to assess how you manage and regulate your emotions. This ERQ quiz measures two core emotion regulation strategies — cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression — helping you better understand your emotional habits, self-awareness, and coping mechanisms. By taking this short, research-based assessment you’ll gain insight into how often you reframe situations to change emotional impact or hold back emotional expression.
Optimized for those studying emotional intelligence, mental wellbeing, or performance psychology, this ERQ quiz provides clear scoring and practical interpretation. Whether you're exploring personal growth, workplace emotional skills, or therapy tools, this emotion regulation test offers actionable information about your regulation strategies and tips to develop healthier emotional responses like reappraisal, reduced suppression, and improved emotional flexibility.
I control my emotions by changing the way I think about the situation I’m in.
This item targets cognitive reappraisal — reframing thoughts to change emotional response.
When I want to feel more positive emotion I change what I’m thinking about.
Assesses use of cognitive strategies to increase positive emotions.
I control my emotions by changing the way I think about the situation I am in to feel less negatively.
Evaluates habitual reappraisal to down-regulate negative emotions.
I keep my emotions to myself.
Measures expressive suppression — limiting outward display of feelings.
When I want to feel less negative emotion, I change the way I’m thinking about the situation.
Another reappraisal-focused statement to gauge habitual reframing.
I control my feelings about things by not showing my emotions.
Assesses suppression: limiting expression as an emotion regulation tactic.
I change the way I think about things in order to feel better.
Measures use of cognitive reappraisal to improve mood and emotional outcomes.
When I’m feeling unpleasant emotions, I change the way I’m thinking about the situation to feel better.
Assesses habitual reframing in the face of negative emotional states.
I keep my emotions hidden from others.
Evaluates expressive suppression tendencies in social contexts.
I change how I think about a situation to influence how I feel about it.
Final reappraisal item measuring active cognitive reframing.
Frequently asked questions
The ERQ is a brief, validated self-report measure used in emotional intelligence and psychology research to assess two common emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. It helps identify how often people use these strategies in daily life.
This ERQ quiz contains 10 items and typically takes 3–5 minutes to complete, making it a quick tool for assessing emotion regulation patterns and Emotional Intelligence tendencies.
ERQ answers are scored on a Likert scale and usually summed to produce subscale scores for reappraisal and suppression. Higher reappraisal scores indicate more frequent use of adaptive cognitive reframing, while higher suppression scores indicate greater reliance on hiding emotional expression—often linked to less positive social and psychological outcomes.
No. The ERQ is a screening and research tool that provides insight into emotion regulation styles. It is not a clinical diagnostic instrument. If emotion regulation problems significantly impair daily functioning, consult a licensed mental health professional for assessment and treatment.
Yes. Emotion regulation skills can be developed. Practices like cognitive behavioral techniques (reframing), mindfulness, emotional awareness training, expressive writing, and therapy can increase adaptive strategies like reappraisal and reduce over-reliance on suppression. Retake the ERQ periodically to track change.
Yes. For a richer understanding, calculate the reappraisal and suppression subscales by summing the relevant items (reappraisal items and suppression items). This provides targeted insight and more actionable recommendations than a total score alone.
Retake the ERQ after implementing emotion regulation practices or interventions (for example, after 4–8 weeks) to monitor progress. Periodic reassessment (monthly or quarterly) can help you track long-term change and refine techniques.
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