The Development of a Stress Response Scale for Adolescents

Abstract

A Stress Response ScaleforAdolescents (SRSA) was developed to measure self-perceived stress responses of adolescents between 14 and 21 years of age. Study 1 involved item selection, scale construction, item reduction, and estimations of reliability and validity. Study 2 tested the ability of the scale, through role enactment methodology, to distinguish differences in stress responses between those in a high stress versus low stress condition. Study 3, used role enactment methodology to test the potential for the scale to detect changes in stress response levels when individuals were taken from a low to high or a high to low stress condition. Finally, Study 4 assessed individual differences in stress responses in a test anxiety context. Thefinal version of this instrument includes 19 stress response items. Thefour studies suggest promiseforfurther development of a self-report stress response scale.