Designing and Validating a Model for Emotional Agility

Abstract

The present study aimed to design and validate an indigenous, valid, and reliable instrument for assessing emotional agility in the Iranian population. This study was conducted within an exploratory mixed-methods instrument-development design in two qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative phase, using a three-round Delphi method with the participation of 18 psychology experts, 39 items were extracted across seven main dimensions, including Emotional Awareness and Clarity, Emotional Acceptance and Mindfulness, Emotional Flexibility and Adaptability, Emotional Inhibition and Pausing, Value-Driven Action and Emotional Meaning-Making, Self-Compassion and Emotional Integration, and Emotional Differentiation and Interaction. In the quantitative phase, the researcher-developed questionnaire was administered to a sample of 208 participants, and the data were analyzed using factor analysis and AMOS software. The findings indicated that the measurement model demonstrated satisfactory fit, and all items had significant factor loadings greater than 0.50. The seven dimensions were subsumed under the higher-order construct of emotional agility, and all path coefficients were statistically significant. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the overall instrument and all dimensions were above 0.80, indicating satisfactory reliability. The dimension of Value-Driven Action and Emotional Meaning-Making, with the highest path coefficient, constituted the central core of emotional agility. The findings emphasize that emotional agility in the Iranian population is a multidimensional and culturally adaptable construct that places particular emphasis on interpersonal and self-compassionate aspects. The developed instrument can be used in organizations and counseling centers for the assessment and enhancement of emotional agility; however, further studies are recommended to examine its criterion-related and convergent validity.