An Extension of the Norms for the Stress Response Scale for Children

Abstract

This article reports an attempt to develop experimental norms on the Stress Response Scale (SRS) for adolescents aged 15 to 18 years. The SRS is a 40-item behavior rating scale designed to measure the impact of stress on the child's behavioral adjustment and to provide scores for five subscales: Acting Out, Passive-Aggressive, Overactive, Dependent, and Repressed. Subjects (N = 167) were selected randomly from a central Texas high school, and ratings on the SRS for each child were provided by a parent along with demographic information. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis replicated three of the five SRS subscales, x2(474) = 1721.23, p < .05. Two of the scales (Repressed and Dependent) did not fit well with the older children although the overall GFI was .88, an indication of a fair fit. While the original factor structure was not replicated entirely, there was enough of a relationship to proceed with establishing experimental norms for the older age group. These norms have potential utility for both research and clinical purposes.