The Emotional Processing Scale: scale refinement and abridgement (EPS-25).
OBJECTIVE
The Emotional Processing Scale (EPS) is a 38-item, eight-factor self-report questionnaire designed to measure emotional processing styles and deficits. Scale development is an ongoing process and our aim was to (i) refine the scale by trying out items from a new item pool and (ii) shorten the scale to enhance its clinical and research utility.


METHODS
Fifteen new items were added to the original 38-item pool. The resulting 53-item scale was administered to four groups (N=690) (mental health, healthy controls, pain patients, and general medical practice attendees). Exploratory factor analysis was used to explore the underlying factor structure.


RESULTS
Maximum likelihood (ML) factor analysis was used to guide the process of item selection and scale reduction. Four of the previous eight factors remained in similar form, two of the original factors were discarded, and one new factor emerged incorporating items from two previous factors. The revised version of the scale (EPS-25) has a 25-item five-factor structure. Internal reliability was moderate to high for all five factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The psychometric properties of the revised scale appear promising, particularly in relation to the detection of differences between diagnostic groups.
Baker
Roger
R
Dorset Research and Development Support Unit, Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, Dorset, UK.
Thomas
Sarah
S
Thomas
Peter W
PW
Gower
Phil
P
Santonastaso
Mariaelisa
M
Whittlesea
Anna
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004644:Emotions; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires