Simultaneous Assessment of Perceived Global and Relationship-Specific Support

Abstract

Perceived global social support and support from specific relationships are not synonymous, yet existing measures typically assess only one or the other. However, it might be possible to simultaneously assess both using the same instrument. In two studies, the reliability and validity of scores derived for specific relationship categories from the Social Support Questionnaire were examined. Separate scores were developed for mother, father and a composite score for friends. Each score exhibited good internal consistency and correlational analyses revealed both convergent and discriminant validity for each of the scores. Support from friends tended to correlate more strongly with both received support and adjustment than did parental support. Support from friends and mother, but not father, predicted perceptions of support availability. Parental support was more predictive than support from friends of the self-perceived past and present quality of familial relationships. Regression analyses indicated that support from individual relationships predicted relationship quality and adjustment, even after accounting for global support.