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Dimensions of social support in the MSPSS: Factorial structure, reliability, and theoretical implications
Author(s) -
Kazarian Shahe S.,
McCabe Scott B.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(199104)19:2<150::aid-jcop2290190206>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - psychology , reliability (semiconductor) , social support , scale (ratio) , clinical psychology , internal consistency , sample (material) , construct validity , concurrent validity , depression (economics) , psychometrics , social psychology , chemistry , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , chromatography , economics , macroeconomics
The psychometric and factor‐analytic properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were investigated in an undergraduate university student sample and an adolescent inpatient psychiatric sample. Three factors were extracted from each sample and were comparable to those described by the originators of the scale. Reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity estimates are also reported. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency in both samples. In terms of validity, the MSPSS correlated strongly with the Social Support Behaviors scale and showed little relationship to social desirability. As predicted, scores from the MSPSS correlated negatively with two separate measures of depression and positively with a self‐concept measure. However, the strength of relationships between severity of depression and social support subscales differed between the two samples. The implications of these findings for the assessment of perceived social support and for future research are discussed.