Social Stressors at Work Questionnaire

Abstract

The Social Stressors at Work Questionnaire (SSWQ) is a specialized psychological instrument designed to quantify the intensity of social stressors present in the workplace. The instrument operates under the theoretical assumption that relationship problems among colleagues and supervisors are the primary cause of social stress. Developed in German, the scale comprises 17 items and has been validated through extensive cross-sectional and longitudinal studies involving industrial workers. The SSWQ is available in two parallel forms and a short form, exhibiting high internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha ranging from .79 to .86) and established criterion validity through correlations with known occupational demands and psychological outcomes.

Keywords

Social stressors, Occupational stress, Workplace relationships, Interpersonal conflict, German language scale, Psychometrics, Criterion validity.

Authors

Prof. Dr. Michael Frese, Zapf et al. (1983), Greif et al. (1983).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Social Stressors at Work Questionnaire is to provide a specific, quantitative measure of interpersonal stress sources within the work environment. The scale addresses a gap in earlier occupational stress literature, which tended to focus more heavily on physical environment, job tasks, and organizational structure, often underrepresenting the impact of difficult social and relational dynamics.

This instrument allows researchers and practitioners to assess the level of interpersonal conflict and strain experienced by employees. By summing responses to items concerning conflict with peers and negative supervisory behavior, the SSWQ yields a score reflecting the subjective intensity of social conflict and relational problems perceived by the respondent.

Construct

The SSWQ measures social stressors, which are defined as detrimental psychological loads resulting directly from problematic social interactions and relationship dynamics in the workplace. This construct is explicitly differentiated from merely lacking social support; instead, it focuses on the active presence of negative social stimuli.

The theoretical foundation identifies four key sources from which social stressors can arise:

1. Individual preferences or aversions (e.g., personality clashes).
2. The overall social climate within a work group.
3. The objective, observable behavior of supervisors or colleagues (e.g., unfair treatment or criticism).
4. Organizational factors related to the coordination and interdependence of individual workflows.

Validity

Strong evidence for the criterion validity of the SSWQ was established across two cross-sectional studies (Querschnitt I and II). The correlation patterns indicated that the SSWQ measures a distinct construct separate from general task-related work stressors, while still demonstrating theoretically expected relationships with relevant outcomes.

Key findings demonstrated that higher social stress scores (derived from the questionnaire, FRB) correlated significantly and negatively with perceived communication at work (r = -.25 to -.10) and available scope of action (Handlungsspielraum; r = -.23 to -.15). Furthermore, social stressors showed robust positive correlations with indicators of psychological strain, including irritability/strain (r = .41, .30), anxiety (r = .39, .25), and depressiveness (r = .30, .30). Consistent negative correlations were found between social stressors and perceived social support from colleagues and supervisors, reinforcing the scale’s sensitivity to interpersonal strain.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the Social Stressors at Work Questionnaire is consistently high, confirming its reliability across different forms and populations. Reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s Alpha) for the various test versions are summarized below (Table 2):

Furthermore, internal consistency remained stable when analyzed across demographic subgroups based on age, job tenure, and specific industrial sites, with most Alpha coefficients ranging between .79 and .84. This stability supports the scale’s broad applicability within the target industrial worker population.

Factor Analysis

Based on the scale development model, the authors assumed that the SSWQ is unidimensional; that is, all items contribute to measuring a single underlying factor of social stressors. While formal confirmatory factor analysis results are not provided in the source documentation, the item selection process and the reported Item-Total correlations (ranging from .41 to .66) support the scale’s intended structure.

The development involved qualitative pre-studies (N=24) followed by two quantitative pilot studies (N=60 and N=74) to refine the item pool before the main cross-sectional and longitudinal validation studies were conducted.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire measuring situational perception of social conflict.

Format: The SSWQ has a total of 17 items. It is administered in three forms: Parallel Form A (8 items), Parallel Form B (9 items), and a Short Form K (10 items).

Language Available: German (deutsch).

Population Group: Employees in industrial production settings.

Age Group: Adult working population, validated on samples ranging from under 27 to over 48 years old.

Population Details: The primary validation samples consisted exclusively of German male workers directly involved in the production processes of the automotive, steel, and metalworking industries. The sampling strategy aimed to recruit multiple workers (ideally five) from the same workplace to enable both individual and group-level comparisons.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the items on a 4-point Likert-type scale:

• 1 = trifft nicht zu (does not apply)
• 2 = trifft wenig zu (applies little)
• 3 = trifft ziemlich zu (applies fairly well)
• 4 = trifft zu (applies)

The final score is calculated by adding the responses for the individual items within the chosen scale form (A, B, or K). The resulting sum score serves as a direct measure of the intensity of perceived social stressors at the workplace.

Keywords

Work environment, Organizational psychology, Psychological strain, Supervisor behavior, Peer conflict, Psychosomatic complaints, Job tenure, Gießen.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not provided.

Correspondence Address: Prof. Dr. Michael Frese, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, FB Psychologie, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10, 35394 Gießen, Deutschland.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and validated based on research conducted and published in the early 1980s (Zapf et al., 1983; Greif et al., 1983). The instrument is classified as validated. Specific information regarding current usage permissions or associated fees for administration is not contained within the provided source material.

Reference’s

• Caplan, R. D., Cobb, S., French, J. R. P., Harrison, R. V., & Pinneau, S. R. (1975).

  Job demands and worker health: Main effects and occupational differences.

• Frese, M., & Zapf, D. (1987).

  Skalen zur Erfassung von sozialen Stressoren am Arbeitsplatz. In K. Udris & M. Frese (Eds.), Stress am Arbeitsplatz: Forschungsergebnisse und Prävention (pp. 134-148). Beltz.

• Greif, S., Frese, M., & Zapf, D. (1983).

  Stressoren, Belastungen und Bewältigung bei Industriearbeitern. Forschungsprojekt des Bundesministeriums für Forschung und Technologie.

• House, J. S. (1981).

  Work stress and social support.

• Mohr, G. (1986).

  Psychosomatische Beschwerden: Skalen zur Erfassung von psychischen und somatischen Beschwerden.

• Semmer, N. (1984).

  Zur Psychologie der Arbeitssicherheit: Einfluss von Stress und Stressbewältigung auf Arbeitsunfälle.

• Udris, I., & Frese, M. (1987).

  Stress am Arbeitsplatz: Forschungsergebnisse und Prävention. Beltz.

• Zapf, D., Greif, S., & Frese, M. (1983).

  Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung sozialer Stressoren am Arbeitsplatz.

Items of the Social stressors at work questionnaire

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

A = Parallelform A

B = Parallelform B

K = Kurzform K