Financial Stress Scale: Reduction from 24 Items to 9 Items

<p>This working paper (FS-2026-01) provides psychometric justification for a shortened 9-item version of the Financial Stress Scale (FSS), originally developed with 24 items spanning three theoretically distinct dimensions: Affective Reaction, Relational Behavior, and Physiological Response.</p>

<p>Data from four independent, nationally representative samples collected between 2017 and 2021 were used to evaluate item reduction. All surveys were administered online via QuestionPro (official partner of South Dakota State University) using random sampling. Wave 00 (N = 1,152; July 2017) was funded by South Dakota State University and conducted for the original scale development. Waves 1–3 were funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Hatch project 1017028; Multistate project 1019968): Wave 1 (N = 396; October 2018), Wave 2 (N = 997; August 2019), and Wave 3 (N = 993; January 2021), the last of which was originally planned for 2020 but delayed due to COVID-19. Data files for all four waves included in this working paper are publicly available for download in accordance with IRB requirements.</p>

<p>Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) confirmed a single dominant factor structure within each subscale across all datasets, with factor loadings consistently exceeding .73 and variance explained ranging from 65% to 84% per subscale. Three items per subscale were selected based on consistently high loadings and theoretical representativeness across the four cohorts. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) applied to the resulting 9-item, three-factor correlated model yielded excellent fit in all four samples: RMSEA ranged from .049 to .068, CFI from .986 to .993, and SRMR from .019 to .026. All standardized factor loadings were statistically significant (p < .001). Convergent and discriminant validity were established through correlations with financial anxiety, job insecurity, negative affect, financial well-being (CFPB), and marital satisfaction.</p>

<p>These findings support the use of the 9-item FSS as a psychometrically sound and survey-efficient instrument. The dataset includes the working paper, item list with scoring instructions, EFA and CFA results from all four waves, and correlation-based validity evidence.</p>

本工作论文（编号FS-2026-01）针对精简版9条目金融压力量表（Financial Stress Scale, FSS）提供了心理测量学验证依据。该量表最初包含24个条目，涵盖三个理论上相互独立的维度：情绪反应（Affective Reaction）、人际行为（Relational Behavior）与生理反应（Physiological Response）。

本研究采用2017年至2021年间采集的四份独立全国代表性样本数据，对条目精简过程进行评估。所有调研均通过南达科他州立大学官方合作方QuestionPro平台以随机抽样方式在线施测。第00波次（样本量N=1152，2017年7月）由南达科他州立大学资助，用于原始量表的开发工作。第1至3波次由美国农业部国家食品与农业研究所资助（Hatch项目1017028；多州项目1019968）：第1波次（N=396，2018年10月）、第2波次（N=997，2019年8月）及第3波次（N=993，2021年1月），其中最后一波次原计划于2020年开展，因新冠疫情（COVID-19）推迟。本工作论文所包含的四份波次数据文件均符合机构审查委员会（IRB）相关要求，可公开下载。

探索性因子分析（Exploratory Factor Analysis, EFA）在所有数据集的各子量表中均验证了单一主导因子结构，因子负荷值均高于0.73，各子量表的解释方差占比介于65%至84%之间。研究基于四次样本队列中始终较高的因子负荷与良好的理论代表性，从每个子量表中筛选出3个条目，最终形成9条目版本。针对该9条目、三因子相关模型的验证性因子分析（Confirmatory Factor Analysis, CFA）在四份样本中均展现出优异的模型拟合效果：近似误差均方根（RMSEA）介于0.049至0.068之间，比较拟合指数（CFI）介于0.986至0.993之间，标准化残差均方根（SRMR）介于0.019至0.026之间。所有标准化因子负荷均具有统计学显著性（p < 0.001）。通过与金融焦虑、工作不安全感、消极情感、金融福祉（CFPB）及婚姻满意度的相关分析，本研究确立了该量表的收敛效度与区分效度。

上述研究结果证实，9条目版FSS可作为一项心理测量学性能优良且调研效率出众的测评工具。本数据集包含本工作论文、带计分说明的条目列表、四次波次的探索性因子分析与验证性因子分析结果，以及基于相关分析的效度证据。