A REANALYSIS OF THE OCCUPATIONAL STRESS INDICATOR

This paper investigates the reliability of the Occupational Stress Ind icator (OSI). Data from a sample of university staff drawn from all ar eas of an urban university, are used to reassess the apparently low re liabilities of many of the OSI subscales reported by Cooper el ni. (19 88) In addition, factor analysis results ale reported fur the first ti me for the sources of pressure data. The reliability data reported her e. while higher reliabilities than originally obtained, remain unaccep tably low. A lack of stability in the device as it is currently formul ated seems apparent. The paper also presents for the first time a deta iled analysis of thc sources of pressure scale, indicating a solution different li-um that proposed by Cooper FI al. (1988). Certain areas o f the OSI clearly need refinement: the inclusion of locus of control a nd type A behaviour as personality variables in particular is called i nto question. Observations regarding the particular strengths and weak nesses of this device, and suggestions for future refinements, are off ered.