Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

Questions

36

Duration

10 min

Original title

CERQ — Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

Adaptation

Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

Authors

Garnefski, N., Kraaij, V., & Spinhoven, P.

Created

2001

Example result

What the test measures

When and why to use it

The questions

1. Everyone gets confronted with negative or unpleasant events now and then and everyone responds to them in his or her own way. By means of the following questions you are asked to indicate what you generally think, when you experience negative or unpleasant events.
   1. I feel that I am the one to blame for what happened.
   Probes the individual's immediate cognitive reflex to hold themselves responsible.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
2. 2. I think that I have to accept that this has happened.
   Assesses the early stage of cognitive resignation and acknowledging reality.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
3. 3. I often think about how I feel about what I've experienced.
   Evaluates the frequency of focusing on one's own emotional state following adversity.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
4. 4. I think about more pleasant things than what I've experienced.
   Identifies the deliberate attempt to direct attention toward positive, unrelated thoughts.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
5. 5. I think about the best way to handle things.
   Captures the initial shift toward considering constructive responses.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
6. 6. I think I can learn something from the situation.
   Probes the capacity to extract educational value from a difficult experience.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
7. 7. I think that it could have been much worse.
   Measures the tendency to minimize distress through downward comparison.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
8. 8. I often think that what I've experienced is much worse than what others have experienced.
   Evaluates the specific catastrophic appraisal that one's own suffering is uniquely severe.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
9. 9. I feel that others are to blame for what happened.
   Assesses the reflex to shift fault onto external figures.
   • Almost never
   • Sometimes
   • Regularly
   • Often
   • Almost always
10. 10. I feel that I am responsible for what happened.
    Probes the deeper internalization of responsibility for negative outcomes.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
11. 11. I think I have to accept the situation.
    Captures the active cognitive embrace of the unavoidable situation.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
12. 12. I am preoccupied with my thoughts and feelings about what I've experienced.
    Measures the intensity of cognitive preoccupation with the stressor.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
13. 13. I think about pleasant things that have nothing to do with what I've experienced.
    Evaluates the reliance on distraction through completely distinct pleasant thoughts.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
14. 14. I think about the best way to deal with the situation.
    Probes problem-focused cognitive planning and coping preparation.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
15. 15. I think I can become a stronger person as a result of what happened.
    Assesses the tendency to frame adversity as an opportunity for personal strengthening.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
16. 16. I think that others go through much worse experiences.
    Measures the strategy of relativizing one's hardship against others' suffering.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
17. 17. I keep thinking about how terrible what I've experienced is.
    Captures the hallmark catastrophic loop of dwelling on the event's terrible nature.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
18. 18. I feel that others are responsible for what happened.
    Evaluates the consistent attribution of fault to outside parties.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
19. 19. I think about the mistakes I've made in relation to what happened.
    Probes the specific tendency to review personal errors and missteps.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
20. 20. I think I can't change what has happened.
    Assesses the recognition of one's own lack of control over the past.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
21. 21. I want to understand why I feel this way about what I've experienced.
    Measures the analytic dimension of rumination, seeking to dissect emotional reactions.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
22. 22. I think about something pleasant instead of what happened.
    Identifies the active replacement of stressful thoughts with positive alternatives.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
23. 23. I think about how to change the situation.
    Probes the cognitive generation of actionable solutions.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
24. 24. I think that the situation also has its positive sides.
    Evaluates the ability to detect dual aspects, including positive facets, within a bad situation.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
25. 25. I think it didn't go too badly compared to other situations.
    Captures the specific cognitive move to frame the event as relatively minor.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
26. 26. I often think that what I've experienced is the worst thing that can happen to someone.
    Assesses the absolute worst-case appraisal of the personal experience.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
27. 27. I think about the mistakes others have made in relation to what happened.
    Evaluates the tendency to review and highlight the mistakes made by others.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
28. 28. I think that deep down I am the cause of what happened.
    Probes the foundational core belief that the self is the root cause of negative events.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
29. 29. I think I have to learn to live with what happened.
    Captures the long-term cognitive strategy of adapting to an unchangeable reality.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
30. 30. I constantly think about the feelings the situation has brought up in me.
    Measures the extent of getting emotionally anchored to the evocative power of the situation.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
31. 31. I think about pleasant experiences.
    Evaluates the frequency of using past positive memories as a mental refuge.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
32. 32. I think of a plan for the best way to handle things.
    Probes the formulation of a structured approach to managing the stressor.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
33. 33. I look for the positive aspects of the situation.
    Assesses the active cognitive search for silver linings.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
34. 34. I tell myself that there are worse things in life.
    Captures the use of broad philosophical downplaying to reduce subjective distress.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
35. 35. I continually think about how horrible the situation was.
    Measures the chronic nature of horrible appraisals and their cognitive persistence.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always
36. 36. I feel that deep down others are the cause of what happened.
    Evaluates the fundamental cognitive stance that external entities are the primary originators of distress.
    • Almost never
    • Sometimes
    • Regularly
    • Often
    • Almost always