Scale Overview
The Social Support Opinions Survey – SSOS was developed by Kent D. Harber, Lee Jussim, Kathleen A. Kennedy, Robin Freyberg, Lisa Baum (2008). It is designed to measure Directive and Nondirective Social Support Opinions. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 14 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Directive Support, Nondirective Support.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Directive Support |
1,2,6,8,10,13 |
6 |
| Nondirective Support |
3,4,5,7,9,11,12,14 |
8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Importance: 1 – 2
- Moderate Importance: 3 – 3
- High Importance: 4 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Directive subscale: alpha = 0.74-0.78; Nondirective subscale: alpha = 0.70-0.77.
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.