Development and Psychometric Properties of a Computer-Based Standardized Emotional Competence Inventory (MeKKi) for Preschoolers and School-Aged Children

Tina In-Albon; Maxim Shafiei; Hanna Christiansen; Tanja Könen; Raphael Gutzweiler; Julian Schmitz

doi:10.1007/s10578-021-01206-6

Development and Psychometric Properties of a Computer-Based Standardized Emotional Competence Inventory (MeKKi) for Preschoolers and School-Aged Children

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2022 Dec;53(6):1207-1220. doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01206-6. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Authors

Tina In-Albon¹, Maxim Shafiei², Hanna Christiansen³, Tanja Könen^{4

5}, Raphael Gutzweiler², Julian Schmitz^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau, Ostbahnstrasse 12, D-76829, Landau, Germany. in-albon@uni-landau.de.
² Department of Psychology, Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau, Ostbahnstrasse 12, D-76829, Landau, Germany.
³ Department of Psychology, Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau, Landau, Germany.
⁵ Center for Research On Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children At Risk (IDeA), Frankfurt, Germany.
⁶ Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
⁷ Leipzig Research Center for Early Child Development, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.

Abstract

A computer-based emotional competence inventory for preschoolers and school-aged children (MeKKi) was developed to assess five components of emotional competence: emotion vocabulary, emotion identification (situational, visual, auditory), emotion understanding, emotion expression, and emotion regulation. Validity, reliability, and factor structure were examined in a community sample of 313 preschoolers and school-aged children (164 boys, 145 girls, 4 n.a.) age 4-11 years (M = 6.35 years, SD = 1.85). Item statistics and Cronbach's α were calculated for the subscales. The unidimensionality of the subscales was additionally tested via item response theory or confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency (α) was overall satisfactory at 0.82, though the consistencies of the Visual and Auditory Emotion Identification subscales were lower. Unidimensionality was demonstrated for all subscales except Emotion Understanding. Results provide support for the use of the MeKKi in research and clinical settings to assess emotional competence.

Keywords: Assessment; Computer-based measure; Emotional competence; Preschoolers.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Child, Preschool
Computers*
Emotions*
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Male
Psychometrics
Reproducibility of Results
Surveys and Questionnaires