The Team Psychological Safety scale (TPS-7) is a 7-item self-report measure designed to assess psychological safety within high-performing teams. Psychological safety represents a shared team belief that members can engage in interpersonal risk-taking behaviours—such as asking questions, admitting mistakes, proposing new ideas, or challenging existing approaches—without fear of negative consequences to their self-image, status, or career (Edmondson, 1999).
Team psychological safety reflects a largely implicit team climate that is often taken for granted and rarely receives direct attention from either individual team members or the team collectively. The theoretical foundation traces back to early organisational change research by Schein and Bennis (1965), who identified psychological safety as essential for individuals to feel secure enough to engage in learning, adaptation, and change behaviours necessary for high performance.
Example TPS-7 Item
The TPS-7 captures team members’ perceptions of whether their work environment supports open communication, learning from failures, constructive disagreement, and innovation without punishment or embarrassment. Teams with high psychological safety encourage speaking up, questioning assumptions, and collaborative problem-solving. Conversely, teams with low psychological safety may experience silence around problems, reluctance to share ideas, fear of appearing ignorant or incompetent, and reduced innovation due to concerns about potential negative consequences.
Team leaders, organisational psychologists, and consultants use the TPS-7 to assess team climate and identify barriers to optimal performance, diagnose communication and collaboration challenges within teams, measure the effectiveness of team development interventions, create baseline assessments before implementing changes to team processes, and foster conditions that enable learning, innovation, and peak performance by understanding current levels of psychological safety.
Team Psychological Safety (TPS-7) scores consist of a Total Score (scored between 7 and 49), where higher scores indicate higher levels of Psychological Safety.
In addition, scores are presented as a percentile rank in comparison to elite athletes, where a percentile of approximately 50 indicates a typical (and healthy) level of psychological safety. High levels of psychological safety indicate a culture of inclusion, where people feel safe to speak up, offer ideas and ask questions. Conversely, teams with low levels of psychological safety are not comfortable with speaking up and may feel that there are consequences if they question the status quo. Note that questions 1, 3 and 5 are reverse scored.
On first administration of the TPS-7 a plot is displayed showing the client’s Team Psychological Safety score as a percentile compared to the elite athlete sample. Background shading is provided to help with interpretation and the average score is presented as a dotted line. Upon multiple administration of the TPS-7, the total score is plotted over time to indicate change.
The scale was developed by Edmondson (1999) in a corporate team environment, and has since been validated with elite sportsmen (Handball players: Fransen et al., 2020). In sportsmen the average score was 5.37, SD = 0.85 (Raw score = 37.59, SD = 5.95). This data is used for norming purposes, where raw scores are converted into percentiles to provide context for typical scores. Both studies found that psychological safety was one of the most important factors underpinning team effectiveness.
Team psychological safety refers to the shared belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking – where athletes feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions, admitting mistakes, and offering ideas without fear of negative consequences. The TPS-7 measures this construct through seven key dimensions including whether mistakes are held against team members, if problems can be discussed openly, and whether unique skills are valued. In athletic contexts, psychological safety is crucial because it directly impacts team cohesion, learning from errors, and performance improvement. Teams with higher psychological safety show better communication during critical moments, more effective problem-solving, and greater willingness to try new strategies or techniques without fear of ridicule.
The TPS-7 serves multiple clinical purposes in sports psychology practice. At baseline, it provides a snapshot of team culture and identifies specific areas needing attention – for instance, if athletes score high on “mistakes being held against them” (Question 1), interventions might focus on establishing a growth mindset culture. The measure can be administered regularly throughout a season to track changes in team dynamics, particularly after significant events like losses, personnel changes, or team-building interventions. The percentile scores allow comparison to elite athlete norms, helping practitioners understand whether a team’s psychological safety levels are typical or concerning. Individual athlete responses can also highlight those who may feel particularly unsafe or excluded, allowing for targeted support.
Questions 1, 3, and 5 in the TPS-7 are reverse-scored, meaning they measure negative aspects of team culture that undermine psychological safety. These items specifically assess whether mistakes have lasting negative consequences, whether difference is rejected, and whether asking for help is difficult. High scores on these items (indicating these problems are “inaccurate” for the team) contribute positively to overall psychological safety. However, when athletes indicate these statements are accurate, it reveals specific toxic dynamics that need addressing. For example, if multiple team members agree that “mistakes are held against you,” this suggests a punitive culture that inhibits learning and risk-taking essential for athletic development.
Research shows that psychological safety is fundamental to both team performance and individual athlete wellbeing. Teams with high psychological safety demonstrate better tactical adaptation during competition because athletes communicate openly about what’s working and what isn’t. They recover more effectively from losses because mistakes are treated as learning opportunities rather than sources of shame. From a wellbeing perspective, athletes in psychologically safe teams report lower anxiety, better stress management, and higher satisfaction with their sport participation. The TPS-7 helps identify whether a team environment supports or undermines these outcomes. When athletes feel their unique skills are valued (Question 7) and they can raise difficult issues (Question 2), they’re more likely to remain engaged, motivated, and mentally healthy throughout their athletic career.
While the TPS-7 measures each athlete’s perception of team psychological safety, it’s important to understand that psychological safety is fundamentally a team-level construct. Individual scores reflect personal experiences within the team environment, and variation between team members’ scores can be highly informative. Large discrepancies might indicate that certain athletes feel excluded or that subgroups exist within the team. For example, newer team members might report lower psychological safety than established players, or reserve players might feel less safe to speak up than starters. The TPS-7’s individual percentile rankings help identify athletes who may need additional support, while aggregate team scores provide insight into overall team culture. Best practice involves examining both individual responses and team patterns to develop targeted interventions that address both personal and collective needs.
Team psychological safety can shift more rapidly than many might expect, particularly in response to critical incidents. A harsh public criticism from a coach, a teammate being benched for making a mistake, or conversely, a coach praising someone for admitting an error can significantly impact psychological safety within days. The TPS-7’s brief format makes it practical for regular monitoring – monthly administration during a season is common, with additional assessments after significant events like team conflicts, coaching changes, or important competitions. However, it’s important to note that while perceptions can change quickly, building genuine psychological safety typically requires consistent positive experiences over weeks or months. The TPS-7 helps track whether interventions are creating lasting change or just temporary improvements.
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Fransen, K., McEwan, D., & Sarkar, M. (2020). The impact of identity leadership on team functioning and well-being in team sport: Is psychological safety the missing link?. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 51, 101763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101763
Schein, E. H. & Bennis, W. (1965). Personal and Organizational Change via Group Methods. New York: Wiley.
