Commute Strain Scale – CSS
Measures the cognitive and affective strain experienced by employees due to the length, hassles, safety concerns, and worries of their daily commute.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Commute Strain Scale – CSS was developed by Avraham N. Kluger (1998). It is designed to measure Commute Strain. The scale is intended for use with Employed adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 17 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: General Strain, Safety Fears, Commute Worry.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| General Strain | 1,2,3,4 | 4 |
| Safety Fears | 5,6,7,8,9 | 5 |
| Commute Worry | 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree / Extremely Negative, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly Disagree, 4 = Slightly Agree, 5 = Agree, 6 = Strongly Agree / Extremely Positive.
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 17 to 102. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Commute Strain: 17 – 45
- Moderate Commute Strain: 46 – 74
- High Commute Strain: 75 – 102
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.92.
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.