Perceived Stress Scale – PSS-10
Measures the degree to which situations in an individual's life are appraised as stressful.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Perceived Stress Scale – PSS-10 was developed by Sheldon Cohen, Tom Kamarck, Robin Mermelstein (1983). It is designed to measure Perceived Stress. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Perceived Helplessness, Perceived Self-Efficacy.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Helplessness | 1,2,3,6,9,10 | 6 |
| Perceived Self-Efficacy | 4,5,7,8 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Never, 1 = Almost Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Fairly Often, 4 = Very Often.
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 40. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low stress: 0 – 13
- Moderate stress: 14 – 26
- High stress: 27 – 40
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.78.
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.