Assessing momentary relaxation using the Relaxation State Questionnaire (RSQ).

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Stress significantly impacts mental and physical health, necessitating effective management strategies.
• Relaxation exercises are used to counteract stress, but current assessments lack the ability to measure short-term effects.
• A validated tool is needed to capture the immediate psychological state following relaxation practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Relaxation State Questionnaire (RSQ) for measuring momentary states of relaxation.
• To assess the psychometric properties, including reliability and validity, of the RSQ.
• To provide a tool for researching the immediate subjective effects of relaxation exercises.

Main Methods:

• Two online studies were conducted with a total of 191 participants.
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine the questionnaire's structure.
• Construct validity was examined by correlating RSQ scores with the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ).

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis identified four factors: muscle tension, sleepiness, cardiovascular activity, and general relaxation.
• Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated high item loadings (0.70-0.91) and excellent reliability (α = 0.86).
• The RSQ exhibited excellent fit indices and good construct validity, confirming its psychometric quality.

Conclusions:

• The Relaxation State Questionnaire (RSQ) is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring momentary states of relaxation.
• The RSQ enables the study of immediate subjective effects and the effectiveness of relaxation interventions.
• This tool advances research into the short-term psychological impact of relaxation techniques.