Appraisal theories of emotion posit that emotions can be explained through a set of appraisal dimensions reflecting how individuals appraise the conditions. This study aimed to adapt the widely used Dimensional Ratings Questionnaire (DRQ; Smith & Ellsworth, 1985) into Turkish and to examine its reliability and validity. Our further goal was to address methodological and theoretical gaps in emotion research by (a) expanding the multidimensional cognitive structure for positive emotions, (b) identifying which appraisal dimensions underlie emotional experiences elicited by film clips, and (c) developing a film-specific version of the DRQ. In Study 1, eighteen specific emotions were elicited via autobiographical recall. Participants evaluated each experience on six appraisal dimensions—valence, certainty, control, attentional activity, responsibility, and anticipated effort—across three sessions, each involving six target emotions. For each session, participants first recalled a personal memory of the target emotion, described it in response to structured questions, and then rated it using the DRQ and additional emotion items. Preliminary analyses underscored the centrality of valence in distinguishing positive from negative emotions. All positive emotions, except surprise, were associated with higher certainty, whereas fear was strongly linked to uncertainty. Pride and challenge reflected high individual control, while frustration, fear, sadness, and disgust involved high situational control. Most positive emotions showed high attentional activity, whereas disgust was characterized by low attention. Pride, challenge, and guilt involved high self-responsibility, whereas frustration, anger, disgust, and fear were attributed to other-responsibility. Finally, challenge, pride, and interest—along with all negative emotions—were associated with greater anticipated effort. Psychometric analyses—including multidimensional scaling to map emotional experiences, factor analysis for construct validity, and discriminant analysis of composite scores—are ongoing, as is Study 2 using emotion-inducing film clips. Findings are expected to provide researchers with both validated instruments and theoretical insights into the appraisal structure of emotion.