Penn State Worry Questionnaire – PSWQ
Measures the frequency, intensity, and generality of trait pathological worry.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire – PSWQ was developed by Meyer, T. J., Miller, M. L., Metzger, R. L., & Borkovec, T. D. (1990). It is designed to measure Trait pathological worry. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all typical of me, 2 = Somewhat untypical of me, 3 = Somewhat typical of me, 4 = Typical of me, 5 = Very typical of me.
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 16 to 80. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low to Moderate Worry: 16 – 49
- High Worry (Typical of GAD): 50 – 80
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranging from .88 to .95.
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.