Expanding the Recovery Experience Questionnaire into a 5-factor model by including a factor covering experiences of contrast

For decades, research on stress recovery has been neglected, as reflected in the underdevelopment of instruments measuring recovery processes. Nevertheless, a notable exception is the Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ) developed by Sonnentag and Fritz, which assesses work recovery experiences during leisure time. The REQ has demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity across multiple languages. In this study, we used the Swedish version of the REQ to investigate whether a factor covering experiences of contrast between work time and non-work time could be incorporated as a fifth factor into the established four-factor model of the REQ, which currently includes the factors control, relaxation, mastery, and psychological detachment. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using a sample of 812 participants recruited through social media. Utilizing four questions as indicators of contrasting experiences, all fit indices suggested a satisfactory model fit, closely resembling those of the four-factor model. Moreover, indices of reliability and validity indicated good composite reliability, internal convergent validity, and discriminant validity for all five factors. Among the five recovery factors, experiences of contrast exhibited the weakest relationship with both burnout and vitality. In conclusion, despite certain limitations in the present study, further examination of experiences of contrast as a recovery factor and the inclusion of this factor in the initial Swedish version of the 5-factor REQ are warranted.