Measuring emotional labor indicators: First adaptation and validation of the Italian version of the Dutch Questionnaire on Emotional Labor (D-QEL)

Journal title PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE
Author/s Simone Catalano
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/2
Language Italian Pages 18 P. 143-160 File size 165 KB
DOI 10.3280/PDS2026-002009
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In research on emotional regulation, it is possible to find studies on the processes of emotional dissimulation due to conditioning in social contexts. Since Hochschild (1979) such tension and effort has been defined as emotional labour, meaning an adaptation of one’s emotional responses to relational situations. In the literature the construct is associated with stress risk conditions. The present study defines a measurement based on the Dutch version D-QEL (2007). According to factor analysis it reveals 4 components investigated by 10 items on a Likert scale. Data were collected via informed consent from 537 participants. The metric properties of the questionnaire are adequate and in line with the original instrument. The Italian version appears promising as a measurement of emotional expression’s control in workplaces and could be used to measure psychotherapy outcomes in clinical practice or to prevent work-related stress risk factors.

Keywords: emotional labor, stress, occupation, workplaces.

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Simone Catalano, Misurare gli indicatori di lavoro emozionale: primo studio di adattamento e validazione della versione italiana del Dutch Questionnaire on Emotional Labor (D-QEL) in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 2/2026, pp 143-160, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2026-002009