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Parental Emotion Regulation Inventory (PERI-2)

Parental Emotion Regulation Inventory (PERI-2) Test

Understand how a parent regulates emotions during tough moments with a child in about 5 minutes. Pinpoint key coping strategies to guide targeted support, coaching, and skill-building.

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Questions: 235 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

25,469 views

2,499 completions

2,230 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

4/7

Suppression (S)

Measures the extent to which a parent tends to hold back or conceal emotions during interactions with their child.

Low suppression

Moderate suppression

High suppression

1 – 2: Low suppression | 3 – 5: Moderate suppression | 6 – 7: High suppression

A score of 4 indicates a moderate tendency to suppress emotions, suggesting the parent sometimes restrains emotional expression, especially in challenging moments.

example score

6/7

Cognitive Reappraisal (CR)

Measures how effectively a parent reframes challenging child-related situations to reduce negative emotional impact and support constructive responding.

Low reappraisal

Moderate reappraisal

High reappraisal

1 – 3: Low reappraisal | 4 – 5: Moderate reappraisal | 6 – 7: High reappraisal

A score of 6 falls in the High reappraisal range, suggesting the parent typically uses positive reinterpretation effectively when interactions become stressful.

example score

2/7

Capitulation (C)

Capitulation measures a parent's tendency to give in to difficult emotions rather than actively trying to regulate them during challenging interactions with a child.

Low capitulation

Moderate capitulation

High capitulation

1 – 2: Low capitulation | 3 – 5: Moderate capitulation | 6 – 7: High capitulation

A score of 2 indicates low capitulation, suggesting the parent is generally less likely to surrender to difficult emotions without attempting to manage them.

example score

4/7

Avoidance (A)

Measures the tendency to withdraw from emotionally challenging parenting situations or avoid discussing difficult emotions.

Low avoidance

Moderate avoidance

High avoidance

1 – 2: Low avoidance | 3 – 5: Moderate avoidance | 6 – 7: High avoidance

A score of 4 indicates a moderate tendency to step back from emotionally difficult moments, with some willingness to engage when needed.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Stressed parents of young kids

41%OF USERS

They want to see how they handle strong emotions during tantrums, defiance, and daily conflicts, and what strategies they rely on most.

Parents in counseling or therapy

34%OF USERS

They take it to clarify current coping habits and set practical goals for improving emotional balance in interactions with their child.

Parent educators and researchers

25%OF USERS

They use it to quickly assess emotion-regulation strategies in groups and track changes after trainings or interventions.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

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Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

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See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Suppression (S)

Average

3.5

Normal range

2.7 — 4.4

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Cognitive Reappraisal (CR)

Average

5.5

Normal range

4.5 — 6.4

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Capitulation (C)

Average

5.3

Normal range

4.2 — 6.4

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Avoidance (A)

Average

2.7

Normal range

1.9 — 3.4

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures how a parent regulates emotions during difficult interactions with a child. It focuses on positive reappraisal and suppression of unwanted thoughts.

What is meant by positive reappraisal in this questionnaire?

It refers to shifting from panic or stress to interpreting the situation in terms of resources, options, or potential benefits. Items assess how consistently this approach is used.

What is meant by suppression of unwanted thoughts?

It refers to intentionally pushing away thoughts that trigger negative feelings during interactions with the child. Items assess how often this strategy is used in the moment.

How long does it take to complete and how many items are included?

Completion time is about 5 minutes. The questionnaire contains 23 items.

How should responses be selected?

Select the option that best reflects typical behavior in challenging situations with a child. Respond to every item and avoid overthinking individual answers.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Emotion Regulation in Parents, PERI2 Test

Parental Emotion Regulation Inventory (PERI-2) Test - Symptoms and Signs

cbt emotion regulation parental stress

This measure is designed to assess how parents regulate their emotions in challenging interactions with their child. The Parental Emotion Regulation Inventory (PERI-2) is a brief self-report questionnaire focused on commonly used emotion-regulation strategies in parenting contexts.

It consists of 23 items and typically takes about 5 minutes to complete. Items ask respondents to rate the extent to which they use specific approaches, such as cognitive reappraisal and suppression of unwanted thoughts, when managing negative affect related to parenting stress.

The Parental Emotion Regulation Inventory (PERI-2) may be used in clinical or research settings to characterize parents’ emotion-regulation patterns, support case formulation, and inform targets for intervention; it is not, by itself, a diagnostic instrument. It is attributed to Susan Nolen-Hoeksema.

Author: james-j-gross, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

Literature: Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2003.

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