title: The meaning of occupational stress items to survey respondents.
abstract: This study tested the effect of using the word stress in the measurement of self-reported occupational stressors and strains. Employees from two organizations responded to a questionnaire that included specific occupational stressors, strains, and 16 items in which the word stress was used. Survey respondents tended to interpret the word stress to refer both to employees' strains or reactions to the work environment and to job stressors or elements of the environment itself. Implications of these findings for occupational stress research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant 48859.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jex
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Beehr
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*