Psychometric Validation of the Core Emotion Framework: Factor Structure and Reliability of the Scenario Based Ten Operator Scale (Phase 1)

This paper reports Phase 1 of an open validation program for the Core Emotion Framework (CEF), a structural‑constructivist model positing ten functional affective operators organized across Head, Heart, and Gut centers. Using a 100‑item scenario‑based instrument administered via Prolific (N\ =\ 826) and randomized in Google Forms, we evaluated internal consistency, exploratory factor structure, and construct validity in a diverse international sample. Exploratory factor analysis recovered interpretable factors corresponding to the hypothesized operators, with targeted anomalies (e.g., Deciding as a threshold operator; heterogeneous Sensing loadings) motivating specific modeling choices and Phase 2 refinements. Results did not support rigid personality‑type models (e.g., the Enneagram), as operator activation patterns were situationally variable and frequently co‑activated. All data and analysis scripts are openly archived on Hugging Face (CoreEmotionFramework/CEF_Main_Archive). We discuss implications for clinical assessment, computational modeling, and future confirmatory work using categorical estimators and fusion‑sensitive ESEM models. Our most important recommendation is that scholars that are independent from the CEF should also investigate all of the available data, and explore all the venues of validation and falsifiability.