The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ)
The Original NSSQ
Created in 1971 by Dr. Jane Norbeck, the original NSSQ is a paper and pencil survey that measures three different types of social support: Affect (how much each network member likes/loves and respects/admires you); Affirmation (how much each network member agrees with you and how much you can confide in them); Aid (how much immediate help and long term help each network member can give you). Participants completing the original NSSQ are presented with a face sheet with 24 network member spaces. They are instructed that they do not have to fill in all 24 spaces.
Permission to Use
Dr. Norbeck has made the NSSQ free to use by the public from at least 1995. No permission is needed to download and use this survey in your research. The formal permission is found on the first page of the scoring instructions document below.
Information
The following information was formerly found on Dr. Norbeck's webpage at UCSF. Sometime in 2016, the web page was made unavailable. The IT staff at UCSF kindly provided me with the information that was posted on Dr. Norbeck's web page.
Created in 1971 by Dr. Jane Norbeck, the original NSSQ is a paper and pencil survey that measures three different types of social support: Affect (how much each network member likes/loves and respects/admires you); Affirmation (how much each network member agrees with you and how much you can confide in them); Aid (how much immediate help and long term help each network member can give you). Participants completing the original NSSQ are presented with a face sheet with 24 network member spaces. They are instructed that they do not have to fill in all 24 spaces.
Permission to Use
Dr. Norbeck has made the NSSQ free to use by the public from at least 1995. No permission is needed to download and use this survey in your research. The formal permission is found on the first page of the scoring instructions document below.
Information
The following information was formerly found on Dr. Norbeck's webpage at UCSF. Sometime in 2016, the web page was made unavailable. The IT staff at UCSF kindly provided me with the information that was posted on Dr. Norbeck's web page.
- NSSQ-Background: Provides a description of the NSSQ
- NSSQ-Instrument: This is the original NSSQ. Note the directions for copying and preparing this instrument as a paper and pencil survey. In addition, use legal sized paper and it is necessary to actually cut the half pages.
- NSSQ Psychometric: This file contains Dr. Norbeck's synopsis of psychometric work done up till 1995.
- NSSQ Scoring: Here you will find the codebook for the NSSQ: How to code variables in SPSS and the syntax to create support variables in SPSS.
Psychometric Bibliography
This is a listing of psychometric work done to date on the original NSSQ. Links are provided when possible.
This is a listing of psychometric work done to date on the original NSSQ. Links are provided when possible.
Norbeck, J. S., Lindsey, A. M., & Carrieri, V. L. (1981). The development of an instrument to measure social support. Nursing Research, 30, 264–269.
Norbeck, J. S., Lindsey, A. M., & Carrieri, V. L. (1983). Further development of the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire: Normative data and validity testing. Nursing Research, 32(1), 4–9.
Norbeck, J. S. (1985). Types and sources of social support for managing job stress in critical care nursing. Nursing Research, 34(4), 225–230.
Byers, P. H. & Mullis, M. R. (1987). Reliability and validity of the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire in psychiatric inpatients. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 47(2), 445–448.
Gigliotti, E. (2002). A confirmation of the factor structure of the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire. Nursing Research, 51, 276-284.
Gigliotti, E. (2006). A confirmatory factor analysis of situation-specific Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire items. Nursing Research, 55, 217-222.
Gigliotti, E. & Samuels, W.E. (2011). Use of averaged Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ) Scores. International Scholarly Research Network (ISRN) (Nursing). Article ID 567280, doi: 10.5402/2011/567280
Gigliotti, E., Samuels, W.E., Como, J., Gamidova, T., Gordon, B., & Acerios, P. (2014)). Identifying and addressing sources of measurement error in the Norbeck Social Support Questionnnaire (NSSQ). Journal of Nursing Measurement, 22(3), 61-76.
Norbeck, J. S., Lindsey, A. M., & Carrieri, V. L. (1983). Further development of the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire: Normative data and validity testing. Nursing Research, 32(1), 4–9.
Norbeck, J. S. (1985). Types and sources of social support for managing job stress in critical care nursing. Nursing Research, 34(4), 225–230.
Byers, P. H. & Mullis, M. R. (1987). Reliability and validity of the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire in psychiatric inpatients. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 47(2), 445–448.
Gigliotti, E. (2002). A confirmation of the factor structure of the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire. Nursing Research, 51, 276-284.
Gigliotti, E. (2006). A confirmatory factor analysis of situation-specific Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire items. Nursing Research, 55, 217-222.
Gigliotti, E. & Samuels, W.E. (2011). Use of averaged Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ) Scores. International Scholarly Research Network (ISRN) (Nursing). Article ID 567280, doi: 10.5402/2011/567280
Gigliotti, E., Samuels, W.E., Como, J., Gamidova, T., Gordon, B., & Acerios, P. (2014)). Identifying and addressing sources of measurement error in the Norbeck Social Support Questionnnaire (NSSQ). Journal of Nursing Measurement, 22(3), 61-76.