Scoring for POMS
POMS is a standard validated psychological test formulated by McNair et al. (1971)[1]. The questionnaire contains 65 words/statements that describe feelings people have. The test requires you to indicate for each word or statement how you have been feeling in the past week including today.
Each adjective in the POMS questionnaire is awarded the following score:
- 0 - Not at all
- 1 - A little
- 2 - Moderately
- 3 - Quite a Lot
- 4 - Extremely
except "Relaxed" and "Efficient" and they score the reverse:
- 4 - Not at all
- 3 - A little
- 2 - Moderately
- 1 - Quite a Lot
- 0 - Extremely
Total Mood Disturbance
A Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) can be calculated by adding the scores for Tension, Depression, Anger, Fatigue and Confusion and then subtracting the score for Vigour.
- TMD = (Tension + Depression + Anger + Fatigue + Confusion) - Vigour
Scores
The total score for "Tension" is determined by adding the scores for:
- Tense, Shaky, On Edge, Panicky, Relaxed, Uneasy, Restless, Nervous and Anxious
The total score for "Depression" is determined by adding the scores for:
- Unhappy, Sorry for Things Done, Sad, Blue, Hopeless, Unworthy, Discouraged, Lonely, Miserable, Gloomy, Desperate, Helpless, Worthless, Terrified and Guilty
The total score for "Anger" is determined by adding the scores for:
- Anger, Peeved, Grouchy, Spiteful, Annoyed, Resentful, Bitter, Ready to Fight, Rebellious, Deceived, Furious and Bad Tempered
The total score for "Fatigue" is determined by adding the scores for:
- Worn Out, Listless, Fatigued, Exhausted, Sluggish, Weary and Bushed
The total score for "Confusion" is determined by adding the scores for:
- Confused, Unable to Concentrate, Muddled, Bewildered, Efficient, Forgetful, and Uncertain About Things
The total score for "Vigour" is determined by adding the scores for:
- Lively, Active, Energetic, Cheerful, Alert, Full of Pep, Carefree and Vigorous
Dummy Items
The following adjectives are not used in the scoring:
- Friendly, Clear Headed, Considerate, Sympathetic, Helpful, Good Natured and Trusting
References
- McNAIR et al. (1971) Manual for the Profile of Mood States. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.
Related References
The following references provide additional information on this topic:
- LIN, S., HSIAO, Y. Y. and WANG, M. (2014) The Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS 2)
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- MACKENZIE, B. (2001) Scoring for POMS [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/pomscoring.htm [Accessed
Related Pages
The following Sports Coach pages provide additional information on this topic: