Assessing Social Support: The Social Support Questionnaire.

Abstract

A measure of social support, the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), is described and four empirical studies employing it are described. The SSQ yields scores for (a) number of social supports, and (b) satisfaction with social support that is available. Three of the studies deal with the SSQ's psychometric properties, its correations with measures of personality and adjustment, and the relationship of the SSQ to positive and negative life changes. The fourth study was an experimental investigation of the relationship between social support and persistence in working on a complex, frustrating task. The research reported suggests that the SSQ is a reliable instrument, and that social support is (1) more strongly related to positive than negative life changes, (2) more related in a negative direction to psychological discomfort among women than men, and (3) an asset in enabling a person to persist at a task under frustrating conditions. Research and clinical implications are discussed. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 15, 1981
Accession Number
ADA100464

Entities

People

  • Barbara R. Sarason
  • Henry M. Levine
  • Irwin G. Sarason
  • Robert B. Basham

Organizations

  • University of Washington

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Families (Human)
  • Health Services
  • Human Behavior
  • Leadership
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Research
  • Personality
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Schools
  • Security
  • Social Psychology
  • Social Sciences
  • Students
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Aviation Science / Aeronautics.
  • Educational Psychology
  • Organizational Psychology.