Psychosocial demands at work How many dimensions

should we use ?

Tage S. KristensenHarald Hannerz

Karl B. ChristensenVilhelm Borg

NIOH, Copenhagen

An analysis based on the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ)

The National Danish Psychosocial Work Environment Study

A representative sample of the adult (20-60 y) working population

2/3 mailed questionnaire

1/3 telephone interview

Response rate 62 %

49 % women

N = 1,858

Main question

How many scales for psychosocial demands at work

should we have ?

And which ?

5 demand scales

No. of items Alpha

Quantitative demands 7 0.80

Cognitive demands 8 0.86

Emotional demands 3 0.87

Demands for hiding emotions 2 0.59

Sensorial demands 5 0.70

* One scale for demands related to decisions and responsibility (”executive demands”) was not confirmed.

* The two scales for emotions were not intended but appeared in the analyses.

Correlations between demand scales were modest

Range: 0.12 – 0.46

Highest correlations

0.45: Emotional and cognitive

0.46: Emotional and hiding emotions

Lowest correlations

0.12: Quantitative and sensorial

0.12: Emotional and sensorial

Associations with stress, fatigue and self-rated health

Quantitative

NegativeEmotional

Hiding emotions

Cognitive Positive

Sensorial No clear picture

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Kindergarten assistants

Cleaners

Foster parents

Shop assistants

Kindergarten teachers

Average

Bank clerks

Warehouse assistants

Store managers

System planners

Managers

Copenhagen Psychosocial QuestionnaireQuantitative demands

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Cleaners

Food industry workers

Agricultural workers

Construction workers

Office clerks

Average

Store managers

Managers

Architects

Elementary school teachers

High school teachers

Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire – Cognitive demands

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Food industry workers

Construction workers

System planners

Agricultural workers

Metal workers

Average

Nurses´ aids

Nurses

Foster parents

Domestic helpers

Elementary school teachers

Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire – Emotional demands

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Food industry workers

Agricultural workers

Construction workers

System planners

Kindergarten teachers

Average

Nurses

Foster parents

Drivers

Nurses´ aids

Domestic helpers

Copenhagen Psychosocial QuestionnaireDemands for hiding emotions

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Drivers

Machine fitters

Nurses

Mechanics

Metal workers

AVERAGE

Agricultural workers

Family care

Kindergarten teachers

Kindergarten teachers' ass.

Cleaning ass.

Copenhagen Psychosocial QuestionnaireSensorial demands

Social class and quantitative demands at work

Danish Psychosocial Work Environment Study

p < 0.0001

N = 1,684

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4

55.4

44.842.4

37.3

Social Class

Score

Social class and emotional demands at work

Danish Psychosocial Work Environment Study

10

20

30

40

50

1 2 3 4

Social Class

Score

P<0.0001 for both genders

N = 849 women and 835 men

Men

Women45.6 46.6

40.5

36.442.1

37.8

24.7 23.4

Machine fitters

Distribution of jobs according to emotional demands and demands for hiding emotions

504030201010

20

30

40

50

60

70

Social workers

Teachers Doctors & nurses

Restaurant

workersTraffic ass. Financial

personnel Sales

workers

Office workers

Work with clients/patients

Farmers

Machine operators

Building workers

Building caretake

rsTransportation workers

Work with customers/personnel

Work with things

Electro-mechanic

al workers

Em

oti

on

al d

em

an

ds

Hiding emotions

Managers

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

50 55 60 65 70 75 80

Social class and developmental work

Cognitive demands

Low Possibilities for development High

Danish Psychosocial Work Environment Study

High

Low4

3

2

1

Stagnationand passivity

Development and growth

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