Scale Overview
The Social Support Scale for Children – Parent Support Subscale (SSSC-PSS) was developed by Susan Harter (1985). It is designed to measure Parental Social Support. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 6 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Really True for Me (Negative description), 2 = Sort of True for Me (Negative description), 3 = Sort of True for Me (Positive description), 4 = Really True for Me (Positive description).
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 6 to 24. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Parental Support: 6 – 12
- Moderate Parental Support: 13 – 18
- High Parental Support: 19 – 24
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.