Scale Overview
The Perceived Wellness Survey – PWS was developed by Adams, T., Bezner, J., & Steinhardt, M. (1997). It is designed to measure Perceived Wellness. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Mental Health, Emotional Health, Social Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Intellectual Health.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Mental Health |
1,7,13,19,25,31 |
6 |
| Emotional Health |
2,8,14,20,26,32 |
6 |
| Social Health |
3,9,15,21,27,33 |
6 |
| Physical Health |
4,10,16,22,28,34 |
6 |
| Spiritual Health |
5,11,17,23,29,35 |
6 |
| Intellectual Health |
6,12,18,24,30,36 |
6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very strongly Disagree, 2 = Strongly Disagree, 3 = Disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree, 6 = Very strongly Agree.
The scale includes 15 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 36 to 216. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perceived Wellness: 36 – 90
- Moderate Perceived Wellness: 91 – 162
- High Perceived Wellness: 163 – 216
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Varies by subscale (typically 0.70 to 0.85).
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.