Significant Others Scale – SOS
Measures the functions of social support (emotional and practical) from significant others, comparing actual support with ideal support.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Significant Others Scale – SOS was developed by Power, M. J., Champion, L. A., & Aris, S. J. (1988). It is designed to measure Social Support. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Emotional Support, Practical Support.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional Support | 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,10 | 8 |
| Practical Support | 6,9 | 2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = Always.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha typically > 0.80).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.