Adversity Appraisal Questionnaire – AAQ
Measures subjective cognitive appraisal styles and emotional reactions in response to specific adverse life events.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Adversity Appraisal Questionnaire – AAQ was developed by Stephanie Gusler, Yo Jackson, Casey A. Pederson (2023). It is designed to measure Cognitive appraisal of adverse life events. The scale is intended for use with Adults (18 years and older).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Positive Appraisals, Trauma Appraisals.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Appraisals | 1,5,6,7,9,10,13 | 7 |
| Trauma Appraisals | 2,3,4,8,11,12,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 13 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 20 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low overall endorsement of appraisals: 20 – 45
- Moderate overall endorsement of appraisals: 46 – 74
- High overall endorsement of appraisals: 75 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Positive appraisals alpha = .85, Trauma appraisals alpha = .83.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.