Perceived Environmental Supportiveness Scale (PESS)
Measures the perceived psychological need support (autonomy support, structure, and involvement) provided by exercise instructors.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Perceived Environmental Supportiveness Scale (PESS) was developed by Edmunds, J., Ntoumanis, N., & Duda, J.L. (2007). It is designed to measure Perceived Need Support. The scale is intended for use with Exercise participants and athletes.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 15 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Autonomy Support, Structure, Involvement.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomy Support | 1,4,7,10,13 | 5 |
| Structure | 2,5,8,11,14 | 5 |
| Involvement | 3,6,9,12,15 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 7 = Strongly Agree).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 15 to 105. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perceived Support: 15 – 45
- Moderate Perceived Support: 46 – 75
- High Perceived Support: 76 – 105
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
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.