Sense of Belonging Instrument – SOBI
Measures an individual's psychological sense of belonging (SOBI-P) and the antecedents to a sense of belonging (SOBI-A).
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sense of Belonging Instrument – SOBI was developed by Bonnie M. Hagerty, Kathleen L. Patusky (1995). It is designed to measure Sense of Belonging. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 27 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Psychological State (SOBI-P), Antecedents (SOBI-A).
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological State (SOBI-P) | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 | 18 |
| Antecedents (SOBI-A) | 19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27 | 9 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Agree, 4 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 17 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 18 to 72. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Sense of Belonging (SOBI-P): 18 – 35
- Moderate Sense of Belonging (SOBI-P): 36 – 53
- High Sense of Belonging (SOBI-P): 54 – 72
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of SOBI-P: .91 to .93; SOBI-A: .72 to .76.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.