Translation, Adaptation and Exploration of Psychometric Properties of the Emotional Labor Scale (ELS) in a Sample of Psychologists

Emotional labor is a worker’s effort in regulating his or her emotions in an attempt to express socially desired emotions within the sphere of his or her profession. This study analyzed the adequacy of the original factor model of the Emotional Labor Scale (ELS) proposed by Brotheridge and Lee (2003), which assesses the duration, the frequency, the intensity, the variability, the depth and the superfi ciality of emotions in the workplace. The study comprised a sample of 518 psychologists from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data was subjected to Confi rmatory Factor Analysis, showing that the best fi t indices were found in the distribution of four factors: frequency, intensity, variability and emotion regulation. Regarding reliability, satisfactory indices were found, ranging from .67 to .84. Thus, the instrument is suitable for the assessment of emotional labor, allowing subsidizing promotion and prevention interventions for emotional management.