How useful is the Rehearsal Scale for Children – Chinese in measuring emotional rehearsal in pre-adolescents of different ages?

The Rehearsal Scale for Children – Chinese (RSC-C) measures the
propensity to rehearse emotionally taxing experiences in children,
however, the initial development of the scale has overlooked the
validity of the scale for pre-adolescents of different ages whose
cognitive development may differ considerably. Therefore, the aim of
this study was to explore the internal validity of RSC-C for the different
age groups (aged 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12) across an age range of 6 to12
years. Confirmatory factor analysis based on the original factor
structure suggested that the internal validity of the RSC-C is poor and
the scale was modified for the age groups concerned. Test-retest reliability for the modified scales was stronger for the younger age groups and moderate concurrent validity against the Chinese Trait Anxiety Scale for Children (CTAS-C) was established. No gender differences were found. The results highlight the importance of testing the validity of a psychometric instrument across different age ranges, given the potential for significant developmental differences. The
current study also provided a new set of psychometrically sound RSC-C for the different age groups to promote greater understanding of the role of emotional rehearsal and psychological stress in physical and psychological well-being in young children.