Scale-Description

The Stress in General Scale (SGS-15) is a psychometric tool designed to measure the general level of stress experienced by individuals. This tool consists of 15 statements that reflect various aspects of stress in daily life, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of the psychological pressure an individual faces.
The key dimensions measured by the SGS-15 include:
Demandingness: Refers to the demanding tasks and obligations that the individual faces.
Lack of Control: Pertains to the feeling of losing control over situations that cause stress.
Emotional Impact: Evaluates the impact of stress on the individual’s emotions and mood.
Social Support: Reflects the level of support the individual receives from their social environment.

Data Analysis and Use

The analysis of data collected through the SGS-15 includes:
Descriptive Statistics: Utilizing means, variances, and frequencies to describe the participants’ scores.
Reliability and Validity: Assessing internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) and structural validity through factor analysis.
Correlation with Other Variables: Investigating the relationship between general stress and other psychological factors such as resilience, life satisfaction, and mental health.
Diagnostic Use: Identifying individuals with high levels of stress who may require additional support or intervention.
The use of this data can support mental health professionals, educators, and researchers in developing stress management programs, as well as in monitoring the effectiveness of interventions.

Purpose

The main objectives of the SGS-15 are:
Assessment of General Stress: Providing a comprehensive picture of the level of stress an individual experiences, taking into account various aspects of their daily life.
Informing Interventions: Providing data that can be used to develop personalized stress management programs aimed at improving mental health and quality of life.
Research Support: Supporting research initiatives that examine the factors contributing to stress and its impacts on individuals’ health and well-being.

Scoring

The norming of the SGS-15 involves creating normative values based on large and representative samples of individuals from various social, age, and professional groups. The norming process includes:
Data Collection from a Representative Sample: Gathering responses from a wide range of individuals to ensure the representativeness of the normative values.
Creation of Normally Distributed Values: Calculating means and standard deviations for each dimension of stress.
Establishment of Evaluation Criteria: Defining cutoff points to identify high, average, and low levels of stress.
Continuous Revision: Updating the normative values based on new research and changing data in the social and work environments.
Norming allows for the comparative analysis of individuals relative to the general sample and helps in identifying individuals who may need additional support for stress management.

Bibliography

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. Springer Publishing Company.
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385-396.
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., & Lushene, R. E. (1970). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Consulting Psychologists Press.
Sapolsky, R. M. (1998). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping. Holt Paperbacks.
Selye, H. (1956). The Stress of Life. McGraw-Hill.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis. APA.