Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS)
M. Loreto Martinez ‚ Maureen Black & Raymond H. Starr
Perceived Neighborhood Scale
I’d like you to think about the neighborhood you live in. I am going to read you some general statements about neighborhoods. Please tell me how each statement fits the way you feel about your neighborhood.
How long have you lived in your neighborhood? ______ years ______ months
Does your neighborhood have a name? If yes‚ ___________________
Social Embeddedness
Items 1-4: Very Likely=1‚ Likely=2‚ Not Sure=3‚ Unlikely=4‚ Very Unlikely=5
1. How likely is it that you could ask a neighbor to loan you a few dollars or some food?
2. How likely is it that a neighbor could ask you to borrow a few dollars or some food?
3. How likely is it that you get help from a neighbor (e.g.‚ watch your place if you’re away‚ take care of your child when you’re sick)?
4. How likely is it that you help a neighbor (e.g.‚ watching their place if they’re away‚ taking care of their child if they are sick)?
Items 5-9: Very Often (daily) =1‚ Often (1/week) =2‚ Sometimes (1/month) =3‚ Seldom (1/3 month) =4‚ Very Seldom=5
5. How often do you greet your neighbors when you see them?
6. How often do you casually visit with neighbors‚ either going over to their place or their coming over to yours?
7. How often do you go to neighborhood activities (e.g.‚ church fair‚ neighborhood meetings‚ sports events)?
8. How often do you exchange/share child care with a neighbor? 12345
9. How often do you talk to neighbors who are also parents?
Sense of Community
Items 10-34: Strongly Agree=1‚ Agree=2‚ Not Sure=3‚ Disagree=4‚ Strongly Disagree=5
10.There are people I can rely on among my neighbors
11.People trust each other in my neighborhood
12.I feel I belong in my neighborhood
13.I care about what my neighbors think of my actions (e.g.‚ how I dress‚ how I treat my child)
14.I feel close to some of my neighbors
15.People in my neighborhood are usually warm and friendly
16.We help each other out in my neighborhood
Satisfaction with Neighborhood
17. My neighborhood is a good place to live
18.My neighborhood has been getting worse recently
19.I have good access to public transportation in my neighborhood
20.The building and yards in my neighborhood are really run down
21.I would move out of my neighborhood if I could
22.I have easy access to a telephone (e.g.‚ pay phone close by‚ neighbor with phone‚ etc.)
23.There is a good place (e.g.‚ playground) For children to play in my neighborhood
24.My neighborhood is a good place to raise a family
25.It’s safe for my child to play outside (If 4 or 5‚ ask why?)
Perceived Crime
26.There are troublemakers hanging around in my neighborhood
27.There is public drinking in my neighborhood
28.There is open drug abuse0dealing in my neighborhood
29.It’s safe to walk alone in my neighborhood at night
30.Some friends and relatives don’t visit me at home because they don’t feel safe
31.People are scared of being robbed in my neighborhood
32.People are scared of being raped in my neighborhood
33.People are scared of being mugged in my neighborhood
34.People are scared of being murdered in my neighborhood
- Satisfaction with Neighborhood
- Sense of Community
This instrument can be found on pages 16-18 of FACTORIAL STRUCTURE OF THE PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE (PNS): A TEST OF LONGITUDINAL INVARIANCE‚ available online at: http://somvweb.som.umaryland.edu/growth/docs/Martinez_JCP_2002.pdf
M. Loreto Martinez ‚ Maureen Black & Raymond H. Starr. FACTORIAL STRUCTURE OF THE PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE (PNS): A TEST OF LONGITUDINAL INVARIANCE. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY‚ Vol. 30‚ No. 1‚ 23–43 (2002)
© 2002 John Wiley & Sons‚ Inc.