Validation of the South Korean adolescents version of the multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Issue 11 (11th January 2022) - Park, Gahyun
Abstract: The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is an easy and brief instrument developed to assess individuals' perceptions of social support from three different sources (family, friend, and significant other). The MSPSS have been adapted to culturally diverse backgrounds, different age groups, and both clinical and nonclinical settings. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the MSPSS on 968 Korean high school students (467 males and 501 females). Confirmatory factor analysis result confirmed the proposed three‐factor model. Cronbach's α coefficients indicated very good internal consistency for the scale as a whole and for the three subscales. Social support had a negative correlation with depression as well as anxiety symptoms and a positive correlation with ego‐resiliency as well as school adjustment, confirming the discriminant and convergent validity of the scale. Female adolescents reported significantly higher levels of perceived social support than male adolescents. In conclusion, the Korean version of the MSPSS is a reliable and valid measure of perceived social support for Korean adolescents.