Theory-Based Stress Measurement

Abstract

Although arguments about how to measure psychological stress are typically based on implicit epistemological and theoretical assumptions, stress measurement has almost never been truly theory driven. The objective of this article is to address several measurement and research issues that derive from my particular metatheoretical concepts of systems thinking, transaction, and process and from my substantive theoretical concepts, which center on appraisal and coping. These issues are illustrated with research on the Hassles Scale. I address four controversial issues with reasoned arguments, and, as might be anticipated, I take the view (a) that stress is mainly a subjective rather than objective phenomenon, (b) that it is best measured as seemingly minor annoyances rather than major cataclysms, (c) that confounding-although a problem-does not accountfor the relationship between stress and adaptational outcomes, and (d) that any stress measure should assess the contents or sources of stress rather than merely its degree. In addition, I argue for increased emphasis on psychological content in stress scales andfor greater attention to the individual's larger adaptational context, to a systems theory perspective, and to the time periods during which stress is sampled. Finally, I argue that we should abandon the measurement of stress, which tends to be too unidimensional, in favor of measuring the degree and quality of the emotions of daily living. Information derived from such measures could greatly expand our understanding of how individuals handle both positive and negative experiences.