Emotional agility – a new language and paradigm for psychiatry

Abstract

Introduction

Emotional Agility constitutes an alternative to the DSM-5 personality trait model.

Objective

The presentation outlines how Emotional Agility is conceptualised and measured through self-report and multi-rater questionnaires.

Aims

The paper highlights the development of a short Emotional Agility trait questionnaire and a corresponding behavioural measure with 18 items.

Method

Data (n = 929) from a substantial personality questionnaire with 161 questions was utilised to create a 54 question ‘short form’ that measures the Big 5 personality factor plus Need for Achievement through 18 facet scales of 3 items each. Data on the same subjects from a 50-item criterion measure was reduced to 18 items that are structurally aligned to the 18-predictor facets.

Results

Predictor reliabilities averaged 0.752 at Factor as well as Facet level. The unit weight sum of the 54 questions achieved an uncorrected validity of 0.28 (n = 929) against external ratings of effectiveness. Joint factor analysis showed good discrimination between the six factors. A ‘positive manifold’ of Emotional Agility scales emerged as expected which could be conceptualised as the opposite of the MMPI2 ‘Demoralisation Factor’.

Conclusion

The Emotional Agility approach could ground mental health assessments firmly in positive approaches that use every-day terminology. It seems preferable to vague scales claiming to measure obscure ‘clinical’ constructs through hugely overlapping items that are often not fit for purpose.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.