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 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, Nondirective.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Directive |
1,2,6,8,10,13 |
6 |
| Nondirective |
3,4,5,7,9,11,12,14 |
8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all important, 2 = Slightly important, 3 = Moderately important, 4 = Very important, 5 = Extremely important.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 6 to 40. Interpretation guidelines:
- Directive Subscale Score Range: 6 – 30
- Nondirective Subscale Score Range: 8 – 40
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.