Mattering Scale

Abstract

The Mattering Scale is a widely recognized self-report instrument developed by Elliott and colleagues in 2004 to empirically measure the social-psychological concept of mattering. This concept refers to the subjective feeling that one is significant, important, and needed by others. The scale consists of 24 items designed to assess three distinct dimensions of mattering: Awareness, Importance, and Reliance. It utilizes a 5-point Likert response format and has been instrumental in exploring the relationship between an individual’s sense of significance and various psychological outcomes, including well-being and suicide ideation.

Keywords

Mattering, Social Psychology, Self-Concept, Psychological Well-being, Belongingness, Self-Esteem, Social Support, Reliability, Construct Validity

Authors

G. C. Elliott, S. Kao, A. Grant

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Mattering Scale is to provide a robust, multidimensional measure for the social-psychological construct of mattering. Before this instrument’s development, mattering was often measured inconsistently or as a byproduct of related constructs like self-esteem or belongingness. Elliott et al. aimed to establish mattering as a distinct and empirically verifiable concept.

The scale serves as a diagnostic and research tool, allowing researchers to quantify the extent to which individuals perceive themselves as being noticed, valued, and depended upon by their social network. This measurement is crucial for studying how perceived social significance impacts mental health, social integration, and overall life satisfaction.

Construct

The Mattering Scale measures the construct of mattering. This concept, originally formalized by Rosenberg and McCullough (1981), posits that the feeling of being important to others is fundamental to human psychological functioning and is closely linked to self-worth.

The scale operationalizes mattering across three distinct, yet correlated, subscales:

• Awareness: The belief that one is noticed by others; that one’s presence or absence is registered by people in their life (e.g., “People are usually aware of my presence”).
• Importance: The feeling that others care about what one does, what happens to them, and that one’s accomplishments are a source of pride to others (e.g., “My successes are a source of pride to the people in my life”).
• Reliance: The perception that others depend on the individual for help, support, or advice (e.g., “When people need help, they come to me”).

Validity

The Mattering Scale demonstrates strong empirical and construct validity. Elliott et al. (2004) provided extensive validation, showing that the scale successfully discriminates mattering from related constructs such as self-esteem and belongingness, confirming its unique contribution to the study of self-concept.

Subsequent research, such as that by France and Finney (2009), further supported the multidimensional structure and construct validity, confirming that the three factors (Awareness, Importance, and Reliance) are conceptually and statistically distinct. Furthermore, studies have established its predictive validity, showing a significant inverse relationship between low mattering scores and negative psychological outcomes, notably suicide ideation (Elliott et al., 2005).

Reliability

The Mattering Scale exhibits high levels of internal consistency across its subscales, supporting its reliability as a measurement tool. The coefficients reported by Elliott et al. (2004) demonstrate robust internal consistency, often measured across multiple samples.

• Awareness: Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were reported as 0.83, 0.87, and 0.82 across different studies or samples.
• Importance: Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were reported as 0.84, 0.86, and 0.80.
• Reliance: Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were reported as 0.83, 0.87, and 0.83.

These consistently high alpha values (generally exceeding the standard threshold of 0.80) confirm that the items within each subscale reliably measure their intended dimension of mattering.

Factor Analysis

The scale was developed based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, which established a clear three-factor structure. This structure reflects the theoretical breakdown of mattering into Awareness, Importance, and Reliance.

The factor analysis confirmed that the 24 items load cleanly onto the three hypothesized dimensions, providing empirical support for the multidimensional nature of the mattering construct. This robust factor structure allows researchers to analyze overall mattering scores as well as specific deficits or strengths within the three core components of feeling significant to others.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire (Psychometric Scale)

Format: 24 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: Primarily English, though adaptations have been used in various languages for cross-cultural research.

Population Group: General population, widely used among adolescents, college students, and adults in Social Psychology research.

Age Group: Adolescence through Adulthood (typically 16+).

Population Details: Originally validated using samples of college students and adults.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the extent to which they agree or disagree with each statement using the following scale: (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) Neutral, (4) Agree, (5) Strongly Agree. Items 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, and 22 are reverse scored to mitigate response bias.

Keywords

Self-Worth, Social Connection, Psychological Measurement, Psychosocial Assessment, Social Support, Self-Concept, Elliott Scale

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was formally published and validated in 2004 (Elliott, Kao, & Grant). As a published academic instrument, usage typically follows standard academic research guidelines, though specific permissions may be required depending on the context of use. The original instruments and detailed documentation are often made available for research purposes.

The original PDF detailing the empirical validation can be downloaded here: http://imoberg.com/files/Mattering_-‎-_Empirical_Validation_of_a_Social-Psychological_Concept.pdf

A second instrument source is also available here: https://www.phenx.org/Portals/0/phenx-content/consensus/psychosocial/07_Mattering_9-2-2010.pdf

Reference’s

• Elliott, G.C., Kao, S., & Grant, A. (2004). Mattering: Empirical validation of a social psychological concept. Self and Identity, 3, 339-354.
• Elliott, G. C., Colangelo, M.F., Gelles, R. J. (2005). Mattering and Suicide Ideation: Establishing and Elaborating a Relationship. Social Psychology Quarterly, 68(3): 223-238.
• France, M.G., Finney, S.J., (2009). What Matters in the Measurement of Mattering? A Construct Validity Study. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 42(4): 104-120.

Items of the Mattering Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. People do not ignore me.
2. When people need help, they come to me.
3. No one really needs me.
4. Sometimes, I feel almost as if I were invisible.
5. People tend to rely on me for support.
6. My successes are a source of pride to the people in my life.
7. At social gatherings, no one recognizes me.
8. No one would notice if one day I disappeared.
9. People are usually aware of my presence.
10. I am not someone people would turn to when they need something.
11. There is no one who really takes pride in my accomplishments.
12. Often, people trust me with things that are important to them.
13. People tend not to remember my name.
14. People do not care what happens to me.
15. Much of the time, people are indifferent to my needs.
16. It is hard for me to get the attention of other people.
17. Quite a few people look to me for advice on issues of importance.
18. Most people do not seem to notice when I come or go.
19. I have noticed that people will sometimes inconvenience themselves to help me.
20. There are people who react to what happens to me in the same way they would if it happened to them.
21. People generally know when I am around.
22. When I have a problem, people usually don’t want to hear about it.
23. There are people who care enough about me to criticize me when I need it.
24. People count on me to be there in times of need.

Scoring Key:

• Response Format: (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) Neutral, (4) Agree, (5) Strongly Agree.
• Reverse Scored Items: 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 22.
• Awareness Subscale Items: 1, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 18, 21.
• Importance Subscale Items: 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 15, 19, 20, 22, 23.
• Reliance Subscale Items: 2, 5, 10, 12, 17, 24.