Service to Others in Sobriety – SOS
A brief assessment of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)-related helping activities pertinent to the daily lives of recovering alcoholics.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Service to Others in Sobriety – SOS was developed by Maria E. Pagano, Amy R. Krentzman, Casey C. Onder, Justina L. Baryak, Jennifer L. Murphy, William H. Zywiak, Robert L. Stout (2011). It is designed to measure AA-related helping (AAH) activities. The scale is intended for use with Recovering alcoholics / individuals in 12-step recovery programs.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 12 to 60. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low to Moderate Service Activity: 12 – 44
- High Service Activity: 45 – 60
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha of 0.92.
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.