# PS Index Critique

*Tom Geraghty · Models & Critique, Measurement*

Critical analysis of the Fearless Organization Scan and its Psychological Safety Index. Argues the tool has real diagnostic value but carries Goodhart's Law risks — and that the domain-level breakdown, while useful, can encourage a checklist approach that misunderstands what PS actually is.

- **This page:** https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/the-psychological-safety-index-a-critical-look/
- **Read the full article on psychsafety.com:** https://psychsafety.com/the-psychological-safety-index-a-critical-look/
- **Interactive map:** https://explore.psychsafety.com/?node=psi

## Connected concepts (15)

- [Methodological Fit in Management Field Research](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/edmondson-mcmanus-2007.md) (paper)
- [The Safety Organizing Scale: Development and Validation of a Behavioral Measure of Safety Culture in Hospital Nursing Units](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/vogus-sutcliffe-2007.md) (paper)
- [What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/edmondson-kerrissey-2025.md) (paper)
- [Qualitative Measurement of PS](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/qualitative-measurement-of-psychological-safety.md)
- [When Feeling Safe Isn't Enough: Contextualizing Models of Safety and Learning in Teams](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/sanner-bunderson-2015.md) (paper)
- [Beyond Metrics](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/beyond-metrics.md)
- [Four Stages Critique](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/the-four-stages-of-psychological-safety.md)
- [Goodhart's / Cobra Effect](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/goodharts-law-campbells-law-and-the-cobra-effect.md)
- [Measuring PS](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/measure-psychological-safety.md)
- [Slacking Off in Comfort: A Dual-Pathway Model for Psychological Safety Climate](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/deng-leung-lam-huang-2019.md) (paper)
- [Streetlight Effect](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/the-streetlight-effect.md)
- [Weaponisation of PS](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/psychological-safety-65-weaponisation-of-psychological-safety.md)
- [Choosing a Psychometric Tool](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/choosing-a-psychometric-tool.md)
- [Measuring PS: Questions First](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/psychological-safety-87-measuring-psychological-safety-questions-to-ask-yourself-first.md)
- [SAFETY™ Model](https://explore.psychsafety.com/n/the-s-a-f-e-t-y-model-neuroscience-needs-and-psychological-safety.md)