Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire – (COPSOQ I)

Abstract

The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ I) represents the initial version of a widely utilized psychological instrument designed for the systematic assessment and improvement of the psychosocial work environment. Developed primarily in Denmark, COPSOQ I was formulated to provide standardized, quantifiable data on various aspects of work life, including psychological demands, organizational factors, social support, and individual health outcomes. The scale structure is comprehensive, covering both work-related stressors and resources. Subsequent iterations (COPSOQ II and III) refined the original structure, particularly addressing noted psychometric issues such as Differential Item Function (DIF), thereby enhancing its applicability in occupational health research and practice across various countries.

Keywords

COPSOQ I, psychosocial demands, occupational stress, work environment, job control, social support, organizational psychology, mental health, job satisfaction

Authors

Tage S. Kristensen, Hans Hannerz, Anne Helene Høgh, Vilhelm Borg, Jeppe H. Pejtersen, Jakob B. Bjorner

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the COPSOQ I was to establish a robust, theory-driven, and internationally comparable tool for measuring the complex relationship between the work environment and employee health. It was specifically developed to facilitate proactive interventions aimed at improving the quality of work life. The questionnaire allows organizations and researchers to identify specific psychosocial risk factors and resources present in the workplace, moving beyond simple measures of workload to encompass deep organizational and social dynamics.

The scale was structured to serve several practical applications: providing feedback to companies regarding their psychosocial environment, enabling epidemiological comparisons across different sectors and countries, and acting as a tool for evaluating the effectiveness of occupational health interventions. The initial version provided three lengths (long, medium, and short) to accommodate diverse research and practical needs.

Construct

COPSOQ I is constructed upon established theoretical models in occupational health psychology, particularly the Job Demand-Control-Support model. It measures a broad spectrum of dimensions categorized into demands, resources/control, social relations, and health/well-being outcomes.

Key constructs assessed include: Quantitative Demands (workload and pace), Cognitive Demands (complexity and decision-making), Emotional Demands (involvement and disturbing situations), and Sensorial Demands. Resources and control factors include Influence at Work, Possibilities for Development, and Degree of Freedom at Work. Social factors cover Social Support, Quality of Leadership, and Sense of Community. Finally, the scale assesses outcomes such as Job Satisfaction, General Health, and various forms of Stress (Mental, Somatic, and Cognitive).

Validity

The validity of the COPSOQ I, and its subsequent versions, has been extensively documented through numerous international studies. Initial validation focused on content validity, ensuring that items adequately covered the domain of the psychosocial work environment as defined by existing theory.

Studies by Kristensen et al. (2005) and Pejtersen et al. (2010) demonstrated strong construct validity, showing expected correlations between the various psychosocial factors and health outcomes (e.g., high demands correlating with poor health, and high control/support correlating with high job satisfaction). However, early analyses of the COPSOQ I revealed issues with the initial Quantitative Demands scale, specifically identifying problems related to Differential Item Function (DIF), which suggested that some items were not functioning consistently across different groups or contexts. This led directly to the refinement and restructuring of certain scales in COPSOQ II.

Reliability

Reliability assessments of the COPSOQ framework, including the initial version, typically show acceptable to high internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha) for most scales, demonstrating that items intended to measure a single construct are coherently related. Thorsen & Bjorner (2010) specifically examined the reliability of the questionnaire, confirming the stability of many core dimensions.

Despite overall strong performance, the original structure of the Quantitative Demands scale was modified in later versions to improve its reliability and eliminate problematic items. For instance, questions related to overtime were recommended to be measured independently rather than being integrated into a composite scale, highlighting the developers’ commitment to psychometric rigor and continuous improvement of the instrument.

Factor Analysis

The factor structure of the COPSOQ I was established using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, confirming its multi-dimensional nature. The analysis supported the theoretical division of the instrument into demands, resources, and outcome scales.

The underlying factor structure was designed to align with major psychosocial stress models. While most domains demonstrated clear factor loadings, the refinement process leading to COPSOQ II involved re-evaluating certain sub-scales, notably those related to demands and management quality, to ensure optimal factor purity and cross-cultural applicability. This iterative factor analysis process is critical for maintaining the scale’s utility in large-scale epidemiological studies.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-administered questionnaire (Survey instrument)

Format: Multi-scale, multi-response format (Likert-type scales, frequency scales, and binary options, coded [A] through [G] in the original version).

Language Available: Danish (Original), English, and numerous other languages for subsequent versions.

Population Group: Working adults across various industries and organizational levels.

Age Group: Adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Originally validated on representative samples of the Danish workforce; later expanded globally.

Test Methodology: Psychometric assessment of psychosocial risk factors and health outcomes in occupational settings.

Keywords

Work strain, psychological assessment, occupational health, mental health, stress measurement, organizational development, Sense of Coherence, coping strategies

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Not consistently available for all authors at the time of COPSOQ I publication)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Contact information typically handled via the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Refer to primary author T.S. Kristensen’s academic affiliation at the time of publication)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The COPSOQ instrument is generally available for non-commercial use, particularly for research purposes, though specific permissions and usage guidelines are managed by the developers at the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA). The initial development and conceptualization of COPSOQ (I) occurred around the late 1990s, with key publications appearing in 2001 and 2005. The instrument is intended to be a free resource for researchers and practitioners.

The original PDF of the COPSOQ 2nd edition (2003), which builds on COPSOQ I, can be downloaded here: http://www.arbejdsmiljoforskning.dk/un‎ion/media/Spoergeskemaer/copsoq/english-copsoq-2-ed-2003-pdf.pdf.

Reference’s

• Kristensen‚ T.S. (2001). Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. In: Hagberg M et al‚ eds. Exposure assess-ment in epidemiology and practice. Arbete och Hälsa‚ 10: 210-213.

• Kristensen‚ T.S.‚ Hannerz‚ H.‚ Høgh‚ A.‚ and Borg‚ V. (2005). The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ): A tool for the assessment and improvement of the psychosocial work environment. Scandinavian Journal of Work‚ Environment & Health 31: 438-449.

• Pejtersen‚ J. H.‚ Kristensen‚ T.S. (2009). The development of the psychosocial work environment in Denmark from 1997 to 2005. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 35(4)‚ 284–93.

• Pejtersen‚ J. H.‚ Kristensen‚ T.S. ‚ Borg‚ V.‚ & Bjorner‚ J. B. (2010). The second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health‚ 38(Suppl 3)‚ 8–24.

• Rugulies‚ R.‚ Aust‚ B.‚ Pejtersen‚ J. H. (2010). Do psychosocial work environment factors measured with scales from the COPSOQ predict register-based sickness absence of 3 weeks or more in Denmark? Scandinavian Journal of Public Health‚ 38(Suppl 3)‚ 42–50.

• Thorsen‚ S. V.‚ Bjorner‚ J. B. (2010). Reliability of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health‚ 38(3 Suppl)‚25-32. doi: 10.1177/1403494809349859.

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Items of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire- (COPSOQ I)

COPSOQ I

QUANTITATIVE DEMANDS:

• a. Do you have to work very fast? [A] +*

• b. Is your workload unevenly distributed so it piles up? [A] +*

• c. How often do you not have time to complete all your work tasks? [A] +*

• d. Do you get behind with your work? [A]

• e. How often can you take it easy and still do your work? [A]

• f. Do you have enough time for your work tasks? [A]

• g. Do you have to do overtime? [A]+

• h. Do you have too little to do at work? [A]

Later analyses have shown theoretical and practical problems with this scale (Differential Item Function). We now propose a new scale (items b‚ d‚ e‚ f) for the long as well as the medium version. Work pace could be measured with item a. Overtime should be measured independently and not be part of a scale.

COGNITIVE DEMANDS:

• Do you have to keep your eyes on lots of things while you work? [A]+

• Does your work require that you remember a lot of things? [A]+

• Does your work demand that you are good at coming up with new ideas? [A]+

• Does your work require you to make quick decisions? [A]

• Does your work require you to make difficult decisions? [A]+

• Do you have to make decisions of great importance to your place of work? [A]

• Do you have a responsible job? [A]

• Does your work require a wide knowledge? [B]

• How often do you have to deal with difficult problems in your work? [A]

EMOTIONAL DEMANDS:

• Does your work put you in emotionally disturbing situations? [A]+*

• Is your work emotionally demanding? [B]+

• Do you get emotionally involved in your work? [B]+*

• Does your work require that you get personally involved? [B]

DEMANDS FOR HIDING EMOTIONS:

• Does your work require that you do not state your opinion? [A]+

• Does your work require that you hide your feelings? [B]+*

SENSORIAL DEMANDS:

• Does your work demand a great deal of concentration? [A]

• Does your work require that you have very clear and precise eyesight? [A]+

• Does your work require that you have to control your movements‚ e.g. your arms and hands consciously? [A]+

• Does your work demand your constant attention? [A]+

• Does your work require a high level of precision? [A]+

• Does your work require that you listen carefully to noises from a machine‚ a process‚ or a conversation? [A]

DEMANDS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AT WORK

• Could it injure other people if you make mistakes in your work? [A]

• Could it cause financial losses if you make mistakes in your work? [A]

• Does your work affect the well-being of others? [A]

INFLUENCE AT WORK

• Do other people make decisions concerning your work? [A]

• Do you have a large degree of influence concerning your work? [A]+*

• Can you influence how quickly you work? [A]

• Do you have a say in choosing who you work with? [A]+

• Can you influence the amount of work assigned to you? [A]+*

• Do you have any influence on when you work? [A]

• Do you have any influence on HOW you do your work? [A]+*

• Do you have any influence on WHAT you do at work? [A]

• Do you have any influence on your work environment? [A]

• Can you influence the quality of your work? [A]

POSSIBILITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT

• Is your work varied? [A]+

• Does your work demand a high level of skill or expertise? [A]

• Do you have to do the same thing over and over again? [A]

• Does your work require you to take the initiative? [B]+*

• Do you have the possibility of learning new things through your work? [B]+*

• Can you use your skills or expertise in your work? [B]+

• Does your work give you the opportunity to develop your skills? [B]

DEGREE OF FREEDOM AT WORK

• Can you decide when to take a break? [A]+*

• Can you take holidays more or less when you wish? [A]+

• Can you leave your work to have a chat with a colleague? [A]+

• If you have some private business‚ is it possible for you to leave your place of work for half an hour without special permission? [A]+

MEANING OF WORK

• Is your work meaningful? [B]+*

• Do you feel that the work you do is important? [B]+*

• Do you feel motivated and involved in your work? [B]+

• Is your work useful to the recipients? [B]

• Is your work part of a larger whole? [B]

COMMITMENT TO THE WORKPLACE

• Would you like to stay at your current place of work for the rest of your working life? [B]+*

• Do you enjoy telling others about your place of work? [B]+

• Do you feel that the problems at your place of work are yours too? [B]+

• Do you feel that your place of work is of great personal importance to you? [B]+*

PREDICTABILITY

• At your place of work‚ are you informed well in advance concerning for example important decisions‚ changes‚ or plans for the future? [B]+*

• Do you receive all the information you need in order to do your work well? [B]+*

• Do you often receive contradictory information at work? [B]

ROLE-CLARITY

• Do you know exactly how much say you have at work? [B]+

• Does your work have clear objectives? [B]+

• Do you know exactly which areas are your responsibility? [B]+

• Do you know exactly what is expected of you at work? [B]+

ROLE-CONFLICTS

• Do you do things at work‚ which are accepted by some people but not by others? [B]+

• Are contradictory demands placed on you at work? [B]+

• Do you sometimes have to do things‚ which ought to have been done in a different way? [B]+

• Do you sometimes have to do things‚ which seem to you to be unnecessary? [B]+

QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP

To what extent would you say that your immediate superior….

• appreciates the staff and shows consideration for the individual? [B]

• makes sure that the individual member of staff has good development opportunities? [B]+

• gives high priority to further training and personnel planning? [B]

• gives high priority to job satisfaction? [B]+

• is good at work planning? [B]+*

• is good at allocating the work? [B]

• is good at solving conflicts? [B]+*

• is good at communicating with the staff? [B]

SOCIAL SUPPORT

• How often do you get help and support from your colleagues? [A] +*

• How often are your colleagues willing to listen to your work related problems? [A]+

• How often do you get help and support from your immediate superior? [A]+*

• How often is your immediate superior willing to listen to your work related problems? [A]+

FEEDBACK AT WORK

• How often does your superior talk with you about how well you carry out your work? [A]+*

• How often do your colleagues talk with you about how well you carry out your work? [A]+*

SOCIAL RELATIONS

• Do you work isolated from your colleagues? [A]+

• Is it possible for you to talk to your colleagues while you are working? [A]+

• How many at your place of work can you talk to about something personal‚ which is important to you? (Number of persons___________)

• Are you part of a group in your work? [A]

SENSE OF COMMUNITY

• Is there a good atmosphere between you and your colleagues? [A]+

• Is there good co-operation between the colleagues at work? [A]+*

• Do you feel part of a community at your place of work? [A]+*

INSECURITY AT WORK

Are you worried about……

• becoming unemployed? (yes‚ no) +*

• new technology making you redundant? (yes‚ no)+*

• it being difficult for you to find another job if you became unemployed? (yes‚ no) +*

• being transferred to another job against your will? (yes‚ no) +*

• ha‎ving to give up your job for health reasons? (yes‚ no)

JOB SATISFACTION

Regarding your work in general. How pleased are you with…

• your work prospects? [C] +*

• the people you work with? [C]

• the physical working conditions? [C] +*

• the way your department is run? [C]

• the way your abilities are used? [C] +*

• the interest and skills involved in your job? [C]

• your job as a whole‚ everything taken into consideration? [C] +*

• your usual take home pay? [C]

GENERAL HEALTH

• In general‚ would you say your health is: [D] +*

How TRUE or FALSE is each of the following statements for you?

• I seem to get sick a little easier than other people. [E] +

• I am as healthy as anybody I know. [E] +

• I expect my health to get worse. [E] +

• My health is excellent. [E] +

MENTAL HEALTH

These questions are about how you feel and how things have been with you during the past 4 weeks. For each question‚ please give the one answer that comes closest to the way you have been feeling. How much of the time during the past 4 weeks –

• have you been a very nervous person? [G] +*

• have you felt so down in the dumps that nothing could cheer you up? [G] +*

• have you felt calm and peaceful? [G] +*

• have you felt downhearted and blue? [G] +*

• have you been a happy person? [G] +*

VITALITY

These questions are about how you feel and how things have been with you during the past 4 weeks. For each question‚ please give the one answer that comes closest to the way you have been feeling. How much of the time during the past 4 weeks –

• did you feel full of pep? [G] +*

• did you have a lot of energy? [G] +*

• did you feel worn out? [G] +*

• did you feel tired? [G] +*

BEHAVIOURAL STRESS

Please consider each of the following statements and indicate how well the descriptions fit your situation during the past 4 weeks!

• I have not wanted to speak with anyone/have been withdrawn. [F]

• I have not been able to stand dealing with other people. [F] +

• I have not had the time to relax or enjoy myself. [F] +

• I have found it difficult to be happy. [F]

• I have eaten for comfort. [F]

• I have been a bit touchy. [F] +

• I have lacked initiative. [F] +

• I have felt harassed. [F]

SOMATIC STRESS

How much of the time during the past 4 weeks have you –

• had stomach ache or stomach problems? [A] +

• had a tight chest or chest pains? [A] +

• had palpitations? [A]

• been short of breath? [A]

• been dizzy? [A] +

• had tension in various muscles? [A] +

• had a tendency to sweat? [A]

COGNITIVE STRESS

How much of the time during the past 4 weeks have you –

• had problems concentrating? [A] +

• had difficulty in taking decisions? [A] +

• had difficulty with remembering? [A] +

• found it difficult to think clearly? [A] +

SENSE OF COHERENCE

• (How do you see yourself?) I believe I can cope with most situations in life. ([F]

• So far‚ I have not had any clear direction or purpose in life. ([F]

• I do not feel that I am able to influence my future to any great extent. ([F]

• I feel that what I do in my daily life is meaningful. ([F]

• Often things happen around me that I do not understand. ([F]

• I feel that I have a great deal to live for. ([F]

• I know what I ought to do in my life‚ but I do not believe that I am able to do it. ([F]

• It is difficult for me to see how different pieces in my life are connected. ([F]

• I feel I understand most of what is going on in my everyday life. ([F]

PROBLEM FOCUSED COPING

What do you usually do when problems arise at work?

• Do you try to find out what you can do to solve the problem? [A]

• Do you do anything to solve the problem? [A]

• Do you refer to a person you think can solve the problem? [A]

• Do you speak with one of your colleagues about your feelings? [A]

SELECTIVE COPING

What do you usually do when problems arise at work?

• Do you try to think of something else or do something you like? [A]

• Do you concentrate on aspects of your work where there are no problems? [A]

• Do you tell yourself that it could be much worse? [A]

• Do you try to see the funny side of the situation? [A]

RESIGNING COPING

What do you usually do when problems arise at work?

• Do you accept the situation because there is nothing to do about it anyway? [A]

• Do you carry on working and pretend the problem doesn’t exist? [A]

Questions that were not used in the final questionnaire:

• Are the objectives of your place of work clear and well known? [B]

• Do you have the facilities‚ methods‚ and "tools" you need in your daily work? [B]

• Do you think that the technology and other "tools of the trade" operate satisfactorily? [B]

• How often do you get support from your un‎ion representative? [A]

What best describes your relationship to the management at your place of work?

1. The management and I have a joint interest in the running of the business

2. The management and I have a joint interests to a certain extent

3. The management and I have no joint interests

4. No management

How often do difficult problems arise in your work? [A]

Are there enough employees at your place at work to get the job done?

1. Much too many employees

2. Slightly too many employees

3. Just right

4. Slightly too few employees

5. Much too few employees

+ Items at medium version

* Items at short version

[A] Always; Often; Sometimes; Seldom; Never/hardly ever

[B] To a very large extent; To a large extent; Somewhat; To a small extent; To a very small extent

[C] Very satisfied; Satisfied; Unsatisfied; Very unsatisfied; Not relevant

[D] Excellent; Very good; Good; Fair; Poor

[E] Definitely true‚ Mostly true‚ Don´t know‚ Mostly false‚ Definitely false

[F] Correct‚ Almost correct‚ Somewhat correct‚ Only slightly correct‚ Incorrect)

[G] All of the time‚ Most of the time‚ A good bit of the time‚ Some of the time‚ A little of the time‚ None of the time)