Abstract

Beliefs about emotions are closely linked to emotion regulation, psychological adjustment, and mental health. While only a few scales exist to measure these beliefs, none effectively evaluate the overarching dimensions and valence (positive vs. negative) of emotions. To fill this gap, the Emotion Beliefs Questionnaire - Korean version (EBQ-K) was developed. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the EBQ-K among 880 Korean adults (440 men and 440 women, with 220 participants in each age group). Various measures were employed, including the DASS-12, eating attitudes, avoidant personality disorder scale, and existing emotion regulation and belief assessments. The findings demonstrated strong internal consistency, and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a four-factor structure that aligns with the original scale. Additionally, convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed, along with measurement invariance across age groups. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the EBQ-K sub-factors significantly predicted levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. These results indicate that the EBQ-K is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing emotion beliefs, with potential applications in clinical and counseling contexts.