Emotion Regulation Skills Test (PERCI)
Preece et al. (2018) · 32 items · how hard you find it to handle negative and positive emotions
Some feelings are hard to calm, others hard to hold onto. This 32-item test maps how you handle emotions on both sides, negative and positive, across 8 regulation skills. About 5 minutes. Research-based, not a diagnosis.
What Is Emotion Regulation?
Emotion regulation is the ability to influence which emotions you have, when you have them, and how you experience and express them. It is not about suppressing feelings. It is about being able to calm down when upset, get moving when stuck, and let feelings pass without them running the show.
What It Measures
This test follows the structure of the Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory (PERCI; Preece et al., 2018), the only measure that covers regulation difficulty for both negative and positive emotions. 32 items form 8 subscales: controlling experience, inhibiting behaviour, activating behaviour, and tolerating emotions, each for negative and positive valence. Higher scores mean more difficulty regulating. Research samples (N=231 and N=1175) support the eight-factor structure with internal consistency of .85-.93.
Scoring & Interpretation
This test is for education and self-exploration only. It is not a clinical diagnostic instrument. If regulation difficulty is paired with persistent low mood or thoughts of self-harm, please speak to a professional.
This test is for education and self-exploration only. It is not a clinical diagnostic instrument.
Result Interpretation
After completing the 32 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.