Perceived Stress
Title
Perceived Stress Scale (10-item; 14-item)
Studies
BCS, PCS1, PCS2, PMBC, PCS3
Copyright Information
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Primary References
1. Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). . Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 385-396.
2. Cohen, S., & Janicki-Deverts, D. (2012). . Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
Purpose
To assess the degree to which people perceive their lives as stressful
Type of Measure
Established
Description
Using a 5-point frequency scale, respondents indicate how often during the past month they found their lives to be unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded.
Scaling
0 = Never, 1 = Almost Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Fairly Often, 4= Very Often
Number of Items
BCS: 14
PCS1, PCS2, PMBC, PCS3: 10
Sample Items
- In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?
- In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and “stressed”?
Psychometrics
Internal consistency in combined BCS, PCS2, PMBC, and PCS3 samples (n = 1142): Cronbach’s α = 0.86
Test-retest reliability in PCS1 (n = 274): one week, r = 0.85; two weeks, r = 0.82
Scoring
10-item Scale (PCS1, PCS, PMBC, PCS3)
Reverse Items: 4, 5, 7,8Sum Items 1, 2, 3, 4R, 5R, 6, 7R, 8R, 9, 10
14-item Scale (BCS)
Reversed Items: 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13Sum Items: 1, 2, 3, 4R, 5R, 6R, 7R, 8, 9R, 10R, 11, 12, 13R, 14
Variables
Total Perceived Stress Score