2.1.4 Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support In order to measure the perception of social support from various sources the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPP) that was developed by (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet and Farley (1988) shall be utilized. The scale measures the concept of social support in a multidimensional perspective, dividing the sources between family, friends, and significant others in order to give a deeper insight into the concept (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988). This scale was developed in order to try to correct issues that were observed in previous scales, where it addresses the subjective assessment, perceptions of adequacy from three supports, self-explanatory, psychometrically …show more content…
The scale is intended as a brief assessment of the general sense of satisfaction with an individual's life as a whole, in a cognitive-judgment process (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). However, Diener, Emmons, Larsen, and Griffin (1985) mention that the scale does not tap into constructs that can be related, such as positive affect. The scale contains only 5 items, all keyed in a positive direction (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). This makes it a brief scale that is easy to use and will not result in fatigue for the participant. Likewise, the scale has been shown to be reliable and valid, making it a good measure (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). This makes it a reliable and valid measure to …show more content…
One main limitation to this study is that there has been few recent done concerning the population sample being studied, specifically, those who come from the Czech Republic. It has been found that causes of loneliness differ among youths from Canada and the Czech Republic, especially if the causes are split into five factors (Rokach, 2003). Specifically, Rokach (2003) found that compared to Canadian youths, Czech youths scored higher on personal inadequacies (low self-esteem, fear of intimacy, feeling socially ill at-ease), developmental deficits (e.g growing up in a dysfunctional home) while the Canadian youth scored higher on social marginality (actual or perceived social rejection.) One should note that the results may be different today due to the Czech Republic's history and the effect it had on the youth. From this, one can conclude that culture can be an important factor in terms of why one feels lonely, which may lead to some being lonelier than others if those specific factors are