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Vaux Social Support Record
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About Vaux Social Support Record
Scale Name
Vaux Social Support Record
Author Details
Alan Vaux
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The Vaux Social Support Record (VSSR), developed by Alan Vaux in 1988, is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure satisfaction with perceived emotional advice and guidance, as well as practical social support, among elementary school students in grades 1-6 (ages 6-12). Published in Social Support: Theory, Research, and Applications, the VSSR is grounded in social support theory, which posits that perceived support from family, friends, and others buffers stress and promotes well-being (Cohen & Wills, 1985). Adapted for young children, the scale assesses how satisfied students are with the emotional guidance (e.g., having someone to talk to about problems) and practical help (e.g., assistance with tasks) they receive, making it suitable for studying resilience in high-risk or urban settings.
The VSSR comprises 9 items rated on a 3-point Likert scale (0 = “not at all” to 2 = “a lot”), assessing satisfaction with support across domains like family, peers, and teachers (e.g., “How much do you feel you can talk to your family when you’re upset?” or “How much do your friends help you when you need it?”). Scores are summed (range: 0-18), with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with social support. Validated in elementary school samples, the scale is used to explore the role of social support in academic performance, emotional adjustment, and coping with stress.
Psychologists, educators, and public health researchers use the VSSR to assess perceived support, inform interventions fostering social connections, and study its protective effects in young children. Its high internal consistency and age-appropriate design are strengths, though its English-only availability, focus on young children, and reliance on self-reports may limit broader application.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the VSSR from primary sources, such as Vaux (1988) in Social Support: Theory, Research, and Applications or Dahlberg et al. (2005) Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths, ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses how much help and support they feel they get to promote well-being, emphasizing confidentiality and using simple, age-appropriate language.
- Provide instructions, asking students to rate each of the 9 items based on how much they feel supported by family, friends, or others, using the 3-point scale. For grades 1-3, use oral administration or visual aids (e.g., smiley faces).
- Approximate time for completion is 3-5 minutes, depending on age and reading ability.
- Administer in a classroom or research setting, using paper, digital, or oral formats, ensuring a private, supportive environment. Oral administration is recommended for younger students.
Reliability and Validity
The VSSR demonstrates strong psychometric properties, as reported in Dahlberg et al. (2005). Internal consistency is high, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.86, indicating excellent item cohesion for a brief scale, suitable for young children. Test-retest reliability is not reported, but stability is inferred to be moderate based on similar social support measures (e.g., r ≈ 0.60-0.80 over weeks).
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with related constructs, such as emotional well-being (r ≈ 0.30-0.50) and school connectedness, and its inverse relationship with stress or internalizing behaviors, consistent with social support research (Malecki & Demaray, 2003). Discriminant validity is inferred from weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, such as academic aptitude (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by its ability to predict better adjustment in children facing stressors, as seen in urban school studies. Factor analyses are not detailed, but the scale’s focus on emotional and practical support supports construct validity. The high reliability makes it a robust tool, though it should be paired with multi-informant data (e.g., teacher reports) for comprehensive assessments.
Available Versions
09-Items
Reference
Vaux, A. (1988). Social support: Theory, research, and practice.
Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2003). What type of support do they need? Investigating student adjustment as related to emotional, informational, appraisal, and instrumental support. School psychology quarterly, 18(3), 231.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Vaux Social Support Record measure?
It measures satisfaction with emotional and practical social support.
Who can use the scale?
Psychologists, educators, and researchers studying elementary school students.
How long does the scale take to complete?
It takes about 3-5 minutes.
Is the scale specific to elementary students?
Yes, it targets grades 1-6.
Can the scale inform interventions?
Yes, it assesses support with high reliability (α = 0.86), but should be used with other measures.
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