Scale Overview
The Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS) was developed by Ralf Schwarzer & Ute Schulz (2000). It is designed to measure Social Support. The scale is intended for use with Adults, clinical populations (e.g., cancer patients), and their partners.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 52 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Perceived Emotional Support, Perceived Instrumental Support, Need for Support, Support Seeking, Actually Received Support, Actually Provided Support, Protective Buffering, Satisfaction with Support Receipt.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Perceived Emotional Support |
1,2,3,4 |
4 |
| Perceived Instrumental Support |
5,6,7,8 |
4 |
| Need for Support |
9,10,11,12 |
4 |
| Support Seeking |
13,14,15,16,17 |
5 |
| Actually Received Support |
18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31 |
14 |
| Actually Provided Support |
32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45 |
14 |
| Protective Buffering |
46,47,48,49,50,51 |
6 |
| Satisfaction with Support Receipt |
52 |
1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = somewhat disagree, 3 = somewhat agree, 4 = strongly agree.
The scale includes 7 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 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low level of the respective dimension: 1 – 2
- Moderate level of the respective dimension: 2 – 3
- High level of the respective dimension: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .63 to .83 across subscales.
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.