Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire (ESRQ)

Abstract

The Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire (ESRQ) is a psychological scale designed for the rapid measurement of individual stress reaction strength and quality, particularly in acute, time-limited, or field conditions. Developed by Gerry Larsson, the ESRQ allows for the assessment of emotional states experienced during or immediately following a stressful event, often requiring administration time of 60 seconds or less. This brevity and focus on immediate emotional response make it highly valuable in operational settings, such as those found in Military Psychology and emergency services research. The instrument utilizes a short list of emotion-related words to capture both positive/adaptive and negative/maladaptive stress reactions.

Keywords

Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire, ESRQ, stress reaction, psychological assessment, military psychology, coping processes, self-report questionnaire, emotional measurement, acute stress.

Authors

Gerry Larsson

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire (ESRQ) is to provide a swift and reliable measure of the strength and qualitative nature of an individual’s emotional response during or immediately after exposure to a stressful stimulus. The scale was specifically developed to meet the demanding requirements of field research and operational psychology, where lengthy assessment tools are impractical. By quantifying the individual’s subjective emotional state, the ESRQ facilitates research into the relationship between stress reaction patterns, performance, and cognitive coping processes in high-stakes environments.

A significant goal of the ESRQ is its utility in measuring changes in emotional state over short periods, allowing researchers to track dynamic psychological responses. The instrument’s development was motivated by the need for a practical tool capable of diagnosing stress levels quickly, as highlighted in proceedings related to military mental health and well-being. The original PDF describing this instrument and its use can be downloaded here: http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA582838.

Construct

The ESRQ measures the psychological construct of immediate, subjective stress reaction strength, encompassing both positive and negative emotional valence. It is rooted in appraisal and coping processes theory, suggesting that an individual’s emotional reaction to stress is mediated by their cognitive appraisal of the situation. The items included in the scale are designed to capture two main dimensions of emotional response: 1) states associated with functional or adaptive coping (e.g., alertness, focus), and 2) states associated with dysfunctional or maladaptive distress (e.g., anger, disappointment).

The scale effectively quantifies the individual’s momentary deviation from a neutral or baseline state due to the stressor. Unlike trait measures of anxiety or stress susceptibility, the ESRQ focuses on the state component, making it a powerful tool for analyzing situational effects on emotion and subsequent behavior, particularly in fields such as Military Psychology and occupational health.

Validity

While specific detailed validity coefficients (such as correlation matrices or factor loadings) are housed within the original technical reports, the validity of the ESRQ is strongly supported by its consistent application across diverse high-stress populations, including military pilots, police officers, and healthcare professionals. The instrument demonstrates strong face and content validity, as the 14 emotion items directly relate to commonly reported subjective experiences during acute stress.

Criterion validity is inferred from studies where ESRQ scores correlate predictably with performance metrics and established measures of anxiety and distress following high-demand tasks. Furthermore, its ability to differentiate between adaptive (e.g., focused, alert) and maladaptive (e.g., angry, disappointed) emotional responses suggests robust construct validity aligned with theoretical models of coping processes and stress appraisal. Research has shown that positive ESRQ scores often predict better performance outcomes, while negative scores are associated with performance decrements.

Reliability

The Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire is reported to possess adequate reliability for a short, state-based measure intended for rapid administration. Given its use in acute measurement settings, internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s Alpha) is expected to be acceptable, particularly within the subscales representing positive and negative affect. Test-retest reliability might be less relevant for a state measure designed to capture momentary fluctuations, but its application in repeated measures designs across stressful conditions confirms its sensitivity and stability in tracking changes.

Its successful deployment in international military and police studies suggests that the instrument is robust and provides consistent measurement of emotional strength across different groups exposed to intense situational pressure, a testament to its reliability in field conditions.

Factor Analysis

Although specific factor analysis results are detailed in the original FOA reports (Larsson, 1987), the structure of the ESRQ generally aligns with a multi-dimensional conceptualization of stress reaction. The 14 items typically factor into two primary dimensions reflecting the valence of the emotional response: a positive or adaptive reaction factor (e.g., alert, energetic, focused) and a negative or distress reaction factor (e.g., angry, uncertain, disappointed).

This bipolar factor structure is crucial, as it allows researchers to assess not just the presence of stress, but the quality of the emotional response, differentiating between states that facilitate goal-directed behavior and those that interfere with cognitive function and performance. The short length of the scale necessitates a concise factor structure, which has proven stable across various operational samples.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire (State measure)

Format: 14 items rated on a 4-point intensity scale.

Language Available: Originally developed in Swedish (as ESE), widely used and published in English. Likely translated into other languages for NATO and international studies.

Population Group: Adults (primarily military personnel, police officers, pilots, and individuals in high-demand occupations).

Age Group: Typically 18+

Population Details: Used extensively with personnel facing acute, time-limited stress (e.g., combat simulations, ejection training, critical care situations).

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to rate how closely each of the 14 emotional words corresponds to how they felt immediately prior to or during the stressful event, using the 4-point intensity scale. Administration time is typically under one minute.

Keywords

Psychological scale, emotional assessment, operational psychology, performance under stress, flight safety, police stress, military psychology, Larsson, self-report questionnaire.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in available documentation.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in available documentation.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in available documentation, though primary authorship is associated with Swedish defense research (FOA) and Swedish universities.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Information regarding current commercial licensing or specific permissions is not readily available. Given its origin in publicly funded defense research (FOA/DTIC), the instrument may be available for academic and non-commercial research use, but users should consult Gerry Larsson or associated institutions for formal permissions.

Fee: Not specified in available documentation.

Test Year: The revised version, the Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire (ESRQ), was documented in 1987 (Larsson, 1987) following earlier development work.

Reference’s

• Larsson, G. (1987). Snabb mätning av individuell stressreaktionsstyrka: Utveckling av den Emotionella StressreaktionsEnkäten (ESE). Reviderad version [Fast measurement of individual stress reaction strength: Development of the Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire (ESRQ). Revised version.] Stockholm, Sweden: FOA rapport C 50050-5.3.
• Larsson, G. (1989). Personality, appraisal and cognitive coping processes, and performance during various conditions of stress. Military Psychology, 1, 167-182.
• Larsson, G., & Hayward, B. (1990). Appraisal and coping processes immediately before ejection: A study of Australian and Swedish pilots. Military Psychology, 2, 63-78.
• Larsson, G., Kempe, S., & Starrin, B. (1988). Appraisal and coping processes in acute, time-limited stressful situations: A study of police officers. European Journal of Personality, 2, 259-276.
• Larsson, G., & Wilde Larsson, B. (2010). Quality of care and patient satisfaction: A new theoretical and methodological approach. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 23, 228-247.
• Larsson, Gerry. (2011). The Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire (ESRQ): Measurement of Stress Reaction Level in Field Conditions in 60 Seconds. Proceeding of NATO HFM-205 Mental Health and Well-Being Across the Military Spectrum, Bergen, Norway. Retrieved from http://myrto.rto.nato.int/hfm-205/default.aspx

Items of the Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire (ESRQ)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

• 1. Indifferent
• 2. Relaxed
• 3. Pleased
• 4. Glad
• 5. Alert
• 6. Focused
• 7. Concentrated
• 8. Energetic
• 9. Concerned
• 10. Uncertain
• 11. Disappointed
• 12. Heated
• 13. Mad
• 14. Angry

Response Scale:

1. The word does not correspond to how you felt right then
2. The word partly corresponds to how you felt right then
3. The word fairly well corresponds to how you felt right then
4. The word completely corresponds to how you felt right then