RESTQ/EBF. THE RECOVERY-STRESS QUESTIONNAIRES

The EBFs identify the current recovery-strain status and provide a complete picture of the current levels of workload and recovery. The questionnaires are based on the assumption that an accumulation of stress in various areas of life, with insufficient opportunities for recovery, leads to a critical psychophysiological state.

The procedure
The EBFs were designed to measure the frequency of current stress symptoms alongside the frequency of recreational activities. By simultaneously recording stress and recovery, a differentiated picture of the current recovery and stress status can be created.
Five versions of the EBF are available. A general version (RESTQ/EBF-Basic) with seven stress scales and five recovery scales forms the basis for the specific versions for athletes (RESTQ/EBF-Sport), for coaches (RESTQ/EBF-Coach), for children and Adolescents (RESTQ/EBF-CA), for the work context (RESTQ/EBF-Work) and for use in the clinical field. All versions include scales that measure specific aspects of exercise and recovery in their respective fields of application. The modular structure is a unique feature of the EBF.
Each version has its specific time window of three, seven or 14 days/nights. A Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 6 (always) is used, indicating how often the respondent participated in various activities or experienced relevant states.
The profile of the EBF scales immediately provides important information about areas where action is required. While the manual is only available in English, English and German language samples were used to obtain psychometric data. The procedure consists of the following parts in printed form: manual in English, questionnaires (long and short forms) in German. Other language versions are available in electronic form.

quality criteria
Cronbach's a coefficients provide good to satisfactory estimates of measurement accuracy. The test-retest coefficients are high when measuring at short intervals and decrease when measuring over longer periods of time, which corresponds to the intention of the measurement.
The construct validity was examined with regard to the intercorrelations of the scales, the factor structure and the stability of the intercorrelations across different samples. The recovery-stress status could be validated by comparisons with psychological measures such as mood status, classical criteria such as performance or biological indicators.

norms
Reference values and expert ratings in English and German are available for some versions.

characteristics and advantages
• Precise subjective assessment and accurate focus on frequency of behavior.
• Differentiated picture of current recovery-strain status based on non-specific and additional area-specific specific scales.
• Modular structure.
• Easy to use test material.
• Manual in English only.