Perception of Teasing Scale – POTS
Measures the frequency and emotional impact of weight-related and competency-related teasing during childhood.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Perception of Teasing Scale – POTS was developed by J. Kevin Thompson, Jill Cattarin, Barbara Fowler, & Eric Fisher (1995). It is designed to measure Childhood teasing (weight and competency related). The scale is intended for use with Adults (retrospective) or adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 22 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Weight Teasing – Frequency, Weight Teasing – Upset, Competency Teasing – Frequency, Competency Teasing – Upset.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Weight Teasing – Frequency | 1,3,5,7,9,11 | 6 |
| Weight Teasing – Upset | 2,4,6,8,10,12 | 6 |
| Competency Teasing – Frequency | 13,15,17,19,21 | 5 |
| Competency Teasing – Upset | 14,16,18,20,22 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never / Not Upset, 2 = Rarely / Slightly Upset, 3 = Sometimes / Somewhat Upset, 4 = Often / Moderately Upset, 5 = Very Often / Very Upset.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 11 to 55. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Teasing / Low Emotional Impact: 11 – 22
- Moderate Teasing / Moderate Emotional Impact: 23 – 44
- High Teasing / High Emotional Impact: 45 – 55
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Weight Teasing alpha = 0.90, Competency Teasing alpha = 0.85.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.