PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Kimberly Burton

MA-Research
May 2004

Concurrent Validity of a New Measure of Stress

    A new stress measure (the Stress Overload Scale; SOS), developed to remedy practical and theoretical problems in existing stress measures, was assessed in terms of its concurrent validity.  In past research, this 30 item self-report questionnaire had been distributed to 246 Southern California community residents along with a job description questionnaire.  Participants had completed both the SOS and the job information questionnaires in their homes, returning them via the mail (Amirkhan, 2001).

    The current study makes use of this data archive to examine the validity of the SOS.  Two coders categorized participants’ occupations according to the Jobs Rated Almanac 2001 (Krantz, 2000).  This source used United States government data to rank 250 common occupations according to degree of stress, taking into account 23 different job demands that can reasonably be expected to evoke stress.

    A one-way ANOVA was performed, using job stress (high, medium, or low) as the independent variable, and scores on the SOS as the dependent variable.  No significant differences in scores on the SOS based on the degree of stress a job entails were found.  However, a correlational analysis between job stress and scores on the SOS was also conducted, which revealed a significant negative correlation between job stress ratings and scores on the SOS.  The results are interpreted as a reflection of a self-selection process associated with different types of jobs.  An individual who does not become easily stressed may choose a highly stressful job, whereas an individual who is easily stressed may choose a job that is not as stressful.  These and other implications are discussed.

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