The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support

TLDR

The study develops the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) as a self‑report instrument and discusses its research value and future applications. The MSPSS was administered to 275 university undergraduates (136 females, 139 males). The MSPSS comprises three valid subscales—Family, Friends, and Significant Other—showing strong factorial validity, good reliability, moderate construct validity, and an inverse relationship with depression and anxiety, with reported gender differences.

Abstract

Abstract The development of a self-report measure of subjectively assessed social support, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), is described. Subjects included 136 female and 139 male university undergraduates. Three subscales, each addressing a different source of support, were identified and found to have strong factorial validity: (a) Family, (b) Friends, and (c) Significant Other. In addition, the research demonstrated that the MSPSS has good internal and test-retest reliability as well as moderate construct validity. As predicted, high levels of perceived social support were associated with low levels of depression and anxiety symptomatology as measured by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Gender differences with respect to the MSPSS are also presented. The value of the MSPSS as a research instrument is discussed, along with implications for future research.