Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

Abstract
Background & Objectives: Emotional vulnerability is a multifaceted and intricate experience that involves both psychological and physiological factors. It is described as a type of distress that arises from emotional difficulties such as interpersonal conflicts or deep emotional wounds. This concept includes feelings of hurt, sadness, or suffering that may stem from various sources, such as sensitivity to criticism, fear of rejection, avoidance of emotional situations, and difficulty in managing interpersonal conflicts. Emotional vulnerability refers to the psychological distress caused by negative emotions such as sadness, grief, anger, or anxiety. This concept plays a significant role in affecting mental health and psychological well-being. Despite the significant impact of emotional vulnerability on psychological problems and disorders, there is no appropriate tool to measure it in the Iranian population. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Emotional Vulnerability Scale (Yamaguchi et al., 2022) in the Iranian population.
Methods: This study was of a tool development and methodological research design. The statistical population consisted of 10,414 students from Zanjan University in the academic year 2022-2023. To assess content validity, the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) were used. The reliability of the Emotional Vulnerability Scale (Yamaguchi et al., 2022) was evaluated by calculating Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest reliability. Since the minimum recommended sample size for test-retest is 30, 50 participants were randomly selected for this assessment. Additionally, the face validity of the tool was qualitatively evaluated by consulting 15 students. The study’s statistical sample for confirmatory factor analysis consisted of 400 participants selected through random cluster sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the factor structure (construct validity) and convergent validity (Pearson correlation with the Distress Tolerance Scale (Simons & Gaher, 2005) and the Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler et al., 2002)). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 24, with all tests computed at a 5% significance level.
Results: The CVR values for all items ranged from 0.80 to 1.0, indicating that the importance and necessity of each item in the tool were confirmed with a CVR greater than 0.63. Moreover, the CVI for the entire tool was calculated to be greater than 0.63, demonstrating that the items had appropriate simplicity, specificity, and clarity. The Cronbach’s alpha values for the entire scale were 0.83, with subscale values of 0.81 for vulnerability to criticism or rejection, 0.78 for vulnerability to weakened relationships, 0.75 for vulnerability to interpersonal conflicts, and 0.80 for vulnerability to procrastination and emotional avoidance. The test-retest reliability for the entire scale was 0.80, with subscale values of 0.73 for vulnerability to criticism or rejection, 0.76 for vulnerability to weakened relationships, 0.74 for vulnerability to interpersonal conflicts, and 0.79 for vulnerability to procrastination and emotional avoidance. The factor structure of the Emotional Vulnerability Scale was confirmed in the Iranian sample, and all model fit indices were acceptable (χ2/df=1.55, GFI=0.95, AGFI=0.93, IFI=0.91, CFI=0.90, RMSEA=0.037). Additionally, the correlation coefficients between the four subscales—Vulnerability to criticism or denial, Vulnerability toward worsening relationships, Vulnerability toward interpersonal discord, and Vulnerability toward procrastination and emotional avoidance—and the Distress Tolerance Scale (Simons & Gaher, 2005) were 0.21, 0.41, 0.24, and 0.35, respectively, and with the Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler et al., 2002) were 0.33, 0.42, 0.37, and 0.46, respectively.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that this scale is a suitable tool for assessing emotional vulnerability among Iranian students. The results of this study can be applied in the fields of clinical psychology, health psychology, and family counseling.