Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire – OEQ
Measures the tendency of individuals to engage in excessive, rigid, and compulsive exercise.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire – OEQ was developed by Linda Pasman & J. Kevin Thompson (1988). It is designed to measure Obligatory exercise. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Exercise frequency and intensity, Exercise preoccupation, Exercise emotionality, Exercise dependence.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise frequency and intensity | 1,2,3,18 | 4 |
| Exercise preoccupation | 14,15,16 | 3 |
| Exercise emotionality | 4,7,13,17 | 4 |
| Exercise dependence | 5,6,8,9,10,11,12,19,20 | 9 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Usually, 4 = Always.
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 20 to 80. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low obligatory exercise characteristics: 20 – 45
- Moderate obligatory exercise characteristics: 46 – 60
- High obligatory exercise characteristics: 61 – 80
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha typically ranges from 0.80 to 0.90.
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.