Psychology & well-being
Perceived social support scale: MSPSS and how to use it
- Concept
- Perceived social support
- Field
- Psychology & well-being
- Scales in the library
- 3
- Items
- 12
Perceived social support is the degree to which a person feels cared for, helped, and able to rely on others when needed. The MSPSS of Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, and Farley (1988) measures it from three sources: family, friends, and a significant other, 4 items each. In Vietnam, the MSPSS is often used in studies on the mental health of students, people with chronic illness, and older adults, usually as an independent or moderating variable between stress and depression, anxiety, or life satisfaction.
Comparing the scales
| Scale | Author (year) | Items | Response format | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family (FAM) Perceived social support (MSPSS) | Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley (1988) | 4 | Likert 7-point | Support from family; 4 items. Use alone when your topic focuses on family, for example students living away from home. |
| Friends (FRI) Perceived social support (MSPSS) | Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley (1988) | 4 | Likert 7-point | Support from friends; 4 items. Often the most important source for students. |
| Significant Other (SO) Perceived social support (MSPSS) | Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley (1988) | 4 | Likert 7-point | Support from a significant other; 4 items. Vietnamese readers may take this to mean a romantic partner, so add a short note on what 'significant other' means. |
Items of each scale
Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or
[brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.
Family (FAM) · Perceived social support (MSPSS)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| FAM3 | My family really tries to help me. |
| FAM4 | I get the emotional help & support I need from my family. |
| FAM8 | I can talk about my problems with my family. |
| FAM11 | My family is willing to help me make decisions. |
Source: Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley (1988). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Perceived social support (MSPSS).
Friends (FRI) · Perceived social support (MSPSS)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| FRI6 | My friends really try to help me. |
| FRI7 | I can count on my friends when things go wrong. |
| FRI9 | I have friends with whom I can share my joys and sorrows. |
| FRI12 | I can talk about my problems with my friends. |
Source: Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley (1988). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Perceived social support (MSPSS).
Significant Other (SO) · Perceived social support (MSPSS)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| SO1 | There is a special person who is around when I am in need. |
| SO2 | There is a special person with whom I can share joys and sorrows. |
| SO5 | I have a special person who is a real source of comfort to me. |
| SO10 | There is a special person in my life who cares about my feelings. |
Source: Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley (1988). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Perceived social support (MSPSS).
Tips
- Place the 12 items in the original order, not grouped by source, then score each source (mean of 4 items) and the total (mean of 12 items).
- Run a 3-factor CFA; if two sources are too highly correlated, check discriminant validity (HTMT) before separating them in the model.
- A Vietnamese MSPSS has been validated on 500 people living with HIV (Kieu, Vuong, and Dung, 2023, Cronbach's alpha 0.90); if you use that version, cite the validation paper.
- If you use it with depression or anxiety scales, follow your university's research ethics rules and put psychological support contacts at the end of the questionnaire.
Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Does the MSPSS have reverse-coded items?
No. Each source score is the mean of 4 items and the total is the mean of 12 items, from 1 to 7; a higher score means more perceived support.
Do I need the authors' permission to use the MSPSS?
No. According to Gregory Zimet's MSPSS page, the scale is free to use, and you only need to cite the original 1988 paper; the page also has a permission letter if your university requires one.
Should I use the total score or the source scores?
It depends on your research question. If the hypothesis is about social support in general, use the total; if you want to know which source matters more (family or friends), enter the three sources as three separate constructs.
References
- Kieu, P. T., Vuong, N. L., & Dung, D. V. (2023). Validation of Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) in Vietnamese among people living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS and Behavior, 27(8), 2488–2496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-022-03974-1