Development and validation of the academic stressors scale and its short version.

Guogang Xin, Shengqin Yang, Ruobing Wang, Jipeng Wang, Shuaishuai Mi

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Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Guogang Xin *School of Government, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.

Shengqin Yang *Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China.

Ruobing WangFaculty of Education, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China.

Jipeng WangInternational Institute of Chinese Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China.

Shuaishuai MiFaculty of Education, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: This study developed and validated the Academic Stressors Scale (ASS) to measure sources of academic stress among secondary school students. The scale was developed based on a comprehensive theoretical framework that categorizes academic stressors into four key dimensions: parent, self, peer, and teacher stressors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 11,704 high school students across 27 provinces in China. Results: The scale was developed within a theory-driven four-factor framework encompassing parent-, self-, peer-, and teacher-related stressors. Its factor structure was supported by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, measurement invariance testing demonstrated that the scale functioned equivalently across gender and regional groups. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency and criterion-related validity, with academic stress correlated to anxiety positively and hope negatively. Additionally, its short version with six core items was refined using network analysis and item response theory to enhance efficiency while maintaining measurement precision. Discussion: The results indicate that the ASS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing academic stressors in secondary school students. It serves as a valuable tool for psychological assessment, educational interventions, and future research.

Indexed as

academic stresshigh school studentitem response theorynetwork analysisscale development

Identifiers

PMID42253531

DOI10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1790872

PMCPMC13233693

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LicenceCC BY

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.