Malleability of emotions: Developing the robust incremental beliefs about emotion scale for elementary school children (RIBES-C)

Beliefs about the ability to control emotions are related to emotional and interpersonal outcomes as well as school achievement, and can be shaped through interventions possibly in the early school years. However, they were rarely studied with children, partly for lack of measurement instruments. We investigated elementary school students’ beliefs about malleability of positive and negative emotions by developing the Robust Incremental Beliefs about Emotion Scale for elementary school Children (RIBES-C). We tested its reliability and validity with 1,420 second and fourth-graders. We used a combined approach with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and Rasch modeling. Factor analyses supported the RIBES-C bidimensional structure, for positive and negative emotions. Rasch modeling permitted to transform the RIBES-C into an instrument respecting the properties of fundamental measurement. Validity of the scale was supported by yielding positive correlations of incremental beliefs with well-being, coping, and inhibition. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.