Significant Others Scale – SOS
Measures the actual and ideal levels of emotional and practical social support received from significant others.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Significant Others Scale – SOS was developed by M. J. Power, L. A. Champion, S. J. Aris (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 | 1,2,3,4,5,8,10 | 7 |
| Practical Support | 6,7,9 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Very rarely, 3 = Rarely, 4 = Sometimes, 5 = Often, 6 = Very often, 7 = Always.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 10 to 70. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Support: 10 – 30
- Moderate Support: 31 – 50
- High Support: 51 – 70
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
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.