Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This article reports an attempt to develop experimental norms on the Stress Response Scale (SRS) for adolescents aged 15 to 18 years. The SRS is a 40-item behavior rating scale designed to measure the impact of stress on the child's behavioral adjustment and to provide scores for five subscales: Acting Out, Passive-Aggressive, Overactive, Dependent, and Repressed. Subjects (N = 167) were selected randomly from a central Texas high school, and ratings on the SRS for each child were provided by a parent along with demographic information. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis replicated three of the five SRS subscales, x²(474) = 1721.23, p < .05. Two of the scales (Repressed and Dependent) did not fit well with the older children although the overall GFI was .88, an indication of a fair fit. While the original factor structure was not replicated entirely, there was enough of a relationship to proceed with establishing experimental norms for the older age group. These norms have potential utility for both research and clinical purposes.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Batterman, J. L. (1989). The relationship between children's age and their stress response style. Unpublished research project, University of Pittsburgh.

Chandler, L. A. (1982). Children under stress. Understanding emotional adjustment reactions. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

Chandler, L. A. (1983). The Stress Response Scale: An instrument for use in assessing emotional adjustment reactions. School Psychology Review, 12, 260-265.

Chandler, L. A. (1990). The Stress Response Scale. A manual (rev.). Unpublished manuscript, University of Pittsburgh.

Chandler, L. A. , & Lundahl, W. T. (1983). Empirical classification of emotional adjustment reactions. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 53, 460-467.

Chandler, L. A. , & Shermis, M. D. (1986). Behavioral responses to stress: Profile patterns of children. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 15, 317-322.

Chandler, L. A. , & Shermis, M. D. (1990). A paradigm for the study of childhood stress. In J. Humphrey (Ed.), Selected research in stress (Vol. 4). New York: AMS Press.

Chandler, L. A. , Shermis, M. D. , & Marsh, J. (1985). The use of the Stress Response Scale in diagnostic assessment. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 3, 15-30.

Jöreskog, K. G. , & Sörbom, D. (1984) LISREL VI: Analysis of linear structural relationships by maximum likelihood, instrumental variables, and least square methods. Mooresville, IN: Scientific Software.

10.

Kemmerer, A. (1984). A comparison of the stress assessment data of clinic-referred and non-referred children. Unpublished master's project, University of Pittsburgh.

11.

Krotec, S. C. (1982). A comparison of behavior, personality, and academic variables of learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and normal adolescents. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.

12.

Mramor, N. (1988). The measurement and instruction of stress management techniques with elementary-school students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.

13.

Piso, C. N. (1981). A revision, factor analysis, and concurrent validity study of a children's behavior scale. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.

14.

Shermis, M. D. , & Chandler, L. A. (1985). A replication of factor analytic studies of the Stress Response Scale. Unpublished manuscript, University of Pittsburgh.

15.

Shermis, M. D. , & Chandler, L. A. (1987). The Stress Response Scale for Children: A profile analysis program (MS-DOS). [Computer Program]. Austin: University of Texas at Austin.

16.

Shermis, M. D. , & Coleman, M. (1989). W. T. Grant prospectus. Proposal submitted to the W.T. Grant Foundation. Austin: The University of Texas at Austin.

An Extension of the Norms for the Stress Response Scale for Children

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References