Development and Validation of the Emotional Well-Being Scale (EWS) for Secondary School Students

Development and Validation of the Emotional Well-Being Scale (EWS) for Secondary School Students Author Atla Srinivas Reddy Co-Author Dr B Rajani Devi Co Author O Swapna Affiliation Manipur International University and Centre for Academic Research, Brahma Kumaris, Mount Abu, India Corresponding Author Atla Srinivas Reddy Email: atla610@gmail.com Mobile: +91-9703935321 Abstract The assessment of emotional well-being during adolescence is essential for understanding students’ emotional regulation, psychological resilience, and social adjustment. The present study aimed to develop and validate the Emotional Well-Being Scale (EWS) for secondary school students. An initial pool of items was generated through an extensive review of relevant literature and consultations with experts in psychology, education, and mental health. Following content validation and item analysis, the final scale comprised 20 items organized into four dimensions: Emotional Regulation, Optimism and Positive Thinking, Peer Relations and Social Adjustment, and Self-Awareness and Inner Peace. The scale employs a five-point Likert response format ranging from Strongly Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (5). Reliability analysis revealed strong internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha exceeding 0.80 for the overall scale. Evidence of content and construct validity supported the multidimensional structure of the instrument. The findings indicate that the Emotional Well-Being Scale (EWS) is a reliable and valid measure for assessing emotional well-being among adolescents and is particularly suitable for school-based and meditation-oriented intervention research. Keywords: Emotional well-being; Adolescents; Scale development; Emotional regulation; Meditation; School mental health