‘good psychological functioning’ and appropriate and adaptive behavior across social contexts ( Block & Block,
1980; Klohnen, 1996 ).
Sample
Originally, Block and Kremen (1996) administered the 14-item ER scale to research participants in the Block
and Block (1980) Longitudinal Study of Cognitive and Ego Development ( Block & Block, 1980 ) at age 18
(N51001). Since its origin the ER scale has been employed in a large body of research with diverse samples.
Reliability
Internal Consistency
The Cronbach alpha coefficient for the original sample of over 100 participants was .76 ( Block & Kremen,
1996).
Test/C0Retest
Across the five years between assessments in Block’s original sample (aged 18 to 23 years), the test /C0retest sta-
bilities were .67 and .51 (adjusted for attenuation), for females and males respectively ( Block & Kremen, 1996 ).
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
Research using the ER89 generally shows moderate correlations with other measures of resiliency. Smith et al.
(2008) reported correlations between the Brief Resilience Scale and the ER-89 of 0.51. The Ego-Resiliency scale
showed moderate positive correlations with the RSCA-A Mastery (.60) and Relatedness (.57) factors ( Saklofske,
Nordstokke, Prince-Embury, Crumpler, & Hinde, 2013 ).
Divergent/Discriminant
A significant negative correlation (-37) was found between the ER89 and the Emotional Reactivity factor of the
RSCA with a sample of university students ( Saklofske et. al., 2013 ).
Construct/Factor Analytic
Factor analyses are not reported for the ER89.
Criterion/Predictive
Fredrickson et al. (2004) reported that trait resilience was associated with a range of psychological benefits,
both in day-to-day life and in coping with crises. Higher scores on the ER89 were found to predict the reporting
of fewer depressive symptoms after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York
(Fredrickson et al., 2003 ), faster affective and physiological recovery from threat ( Tugade & Fredrickson, 2004;
Waugh, Fredrickson, & Taylor, 2008 ), and more successful adaptation to daily stressors (Ong et al., 2006). The
ER89 scale was employed in a study by Tugade and Fredrickson (2004) , who found that positive emotionality
and appraisal of threat moderate the relationship between resilience and the duration of cardiovascular reactivity
following the induction of a negative emotion.
These studies support the predictive validity of the ER-89 showing the role of trait resilience as a protective
factor against stress. Second, trait resilience /C0which itself can be considered a psychological resource /C0is associ-
ated with a host of other psychological resources, including life satisfaction, optimism, and tranquility. Third,
people with high ER-89 scores were more likely to find positive meaning in the problems they faced following
the September 11 attacks. Fourth, persons with higher ER-89 scores, endured fewer depressive symptoms follow-
ing the 9/11 attacks (Frederickson et al., 2004). Also, those scoring high on the ER-89 experienced more positive
emotions than did their less resilient peers (Fredrickson et al., 2004).
Location
Block, J., & Kremen, A.M. (1996). IQ and ego-resiliency: Conceptual and empirical connections and separate-
ness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70 , 349/C0361.295 MEASURES REVIEWED HERE
III. EMOTION REGULATION