Therapists use the "Mood Constancy" and "Impulse Control" subscales to predict conflict resolution style. A 2020 replication study found the 1995 items predict marital satisfaction better than several modern couple inventories.
The 1995 PDF includes a unique "overlay stencil" design—a grid that, when printed on transparency film, allows rapid scoring. For digital users, Psycom included a two-step scoring table.
File an ILL request with your library. Request "the complete test kit for Emotional Stability Questionnaire, published by Psycom Services, 1995, including the manual, test booklet, and scoring key." Therapists use the "Mood Constancy" and "Impulse Control"
Many universities purchased physical copies of the ESQ in the 1990s. Some have scanned their copies for internal archival systems. Search your institution's library database under:
The 1995 Psycom Services edition typically adheres to the standardized format common in psychological testing of that era. The original ESQ uses a 5-point Likert scale
The original ESQ uses a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree). The items are not randomized; they clump into three theoretical subscales, though the 1995 version rarely published subscale scores separately.
Sample Item Themes (paraphrased, not direct copy): The final three items (28, 29, 30) are
The final three items (28, 29, 30) are validity checks – a rare feature for a 1995 short-form. Item 28 asks about "feeling perfectly calm all the time" (reverse-scored). Item 29 asks about "rarely thinking about the past." Item 30 is a frequency check on "losing my temper more than three times this week."