Perceived Social Self-Efficacy (PSSE)

Abstract

The Perceived Social Self-Efficacy (PSSE) scale is a specialized psychometric instrument designed to assess an individual’s confidence in their ability to successfully execute behaviors required for initiating, developing, and maintaining social relationships. Developed by Smith and Betz (2000), the scale operationalizes the concept of social self-efficacy within the framework of self-efficacy theory proposed by Albert Bandura. It is particularly useful in counseling and social psychology research for understanding factors contributing to social adjustment, loneliness, and depression, particularly among young adults and college students.

The 25-item scale requires respondents to rate their level of confidence in performing various social tasks, ranging from initiating simple conversations to engaging in complex group activities and seeking new relationships. The PSSE provides researchers and practitioners with a reliable measure of perceived competence in the social realm, distinguishing it from measures of generalized self-esteem or global self-efficacy.

Keywords

Social Self-Efficacy, PSSE, Self-Efficacy, Social Confidence, Interpersonal Skills, Psychological Assessment, Psychometrics, Social Adjustment, Betz, Smith.

Authors

H. M. Smith, N. E. Betz

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Perceived Social Self-Efficacy (PSSE) scale is to provide a specific and reliable measure of an individual’s belief in their capabilities to succeed in specific social interactions and relationship-building tasks. It serves as a domain-specific measure, offering greater predictive utility than global self-efficacy scales when assessing social behavior outcomes, such as social integration, coping with loneliness, and reducing social anxiety.

The scale is utilized in educational and clinical settings to identify areas where individuals lack confidence in their social abilities, thereby guiding targeted interventions aimed at enhancing social skills and boosting perceived competence. It is foundational for research examining the influence of social confidence on mental health variables, including depression and self-esteem.

Construct

The PSSE measures Social Self-Efficacy, which is defined as the individual’s subjective conviction regarding their ability to perform necessary social behaviors successfully. This construct is rooted firmly in self-efficacy theory, positing that expectations of efficacy, rather than actual competence alone, determine the initiation and persistence of behavior in challenging situations.

The items of the PSSE are designed to cover a broad range of social tasks, typically falling into two main categories: social initiation (e.g., starting conversations, joining groups) and social maintenance (e.g., expressing feelings, keeping a conversation going). By focusing on perceived capability rather than past behavior or outcomes, the scale captures a crucial cognitive component of social functioning.

Validity

The development and validation study by Smith and Betz (2000) demonstrated strong evidence for the construct validity of the PSSE. The scale exhibited appropriate correlations with related psychological constructs, confirming its theoretical placement. Specifically, PSSE scores showed moderate to high positive correlations with measures of global self-esteem and generalized self-efficacy, indicating convergent validity, as individuals who feel generally competent often feel competent socially.

Crucially, the PSSE demonstrated discriminant validity by showing weaker correlations with measures of constructs it was not intended to measure, such as certain personality traits unrelated to confidence in social task performance. Further research, such as the dissertation by Hermann (2005), supported the predictive validity of the PSSE, showing that higher scores were associated with lower levels of loneliness and depression, suggesting the scale accurately predicts positive social adjustment outcomes.

Reliability

The PSSE scale exhibits high internal consistency, a key measure of reliability. In the initial validation studies, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient typically exceeded .90, suggesting that the 25 items are highly intercorrelated and measure a single, cohesive construct of perceived social confidence. This high level of internal consistency confirms the scale’s ability to reliably measure the intended psychological attribute across different administrations.

Although test-retest reliability data are also generally strong, the high internal consistency is paramount for its use as a clinical and research assessment tool. The established psychometric properties support its use in measuring stable individual differences in social self-efficacy, particularly within college student populations.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis performed during the development of the PSSE scale (Smith & Betz, 2000) strongly supported a robust, single-factor structure. This suggests that the 25 items primarily load onto one dominant factor representing overall Perceived Social Self-Efficacy, reinforcing the scale’s unidimensional nature.

While some exploratory factor analyses may suggest secondary factors related to initiation versus maintenance of relationships, the core finding is that the scale is best utilized as a single, unitary score reflecting generalized confidence in social functioning. This simplicity in scoring enhances its practical application in clinical and large-scale research settings.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire/Likert Scale

Format: 25 items rated on a 5-point confidence scale.

Language Available: Primarily English (Original development).

Population Group: Young Adults, College Students, General Adult Population.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Originally developed and validated using college student samples, consistent with much of N. E. Betz’s work in self-efficacy and career development.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to indicate their level of confidence (from 1=No Confidence to 5=Complete Confidence) in performing each specific social behavior listed.

Keywords

Social Efficacy, Confidence, Interpersonal Skills, PSSE, Psychology, Psychometrics, Assessment, Social Adjustment, Betz, Smith.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Information not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Perceived Social Self-Efficacy (PSSE) scale was developed and validated in 2000 (Smith & Betz). The instrument is generally available for non-commercial academic research purposes, often requiring contact with the primary author, Nancy E. Betz, for formal permission. The full instrument can often be found within academic dissertations and publications, such as the Ohio State University dissertation cited below, accessible via the following link: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/rws_etd/document/get/osu1112104621/inline.

Reference’s

The development and validation of the PSSE scale rely on foundational research in self-efficacy and social confidence, including the following key sources:

• Betz, N. E., Wohlgemuth, E., Serling, D., Harshbarger, J., & Klein, K. L. (1995). Evaluation of a measure of self-esteem based on the concept of unconditional self-regard. Journal of Counseling and Development, 74, 76-83.
• Betz, N. E., & Klein, K. L. (1996). Relationships among measures of career self efficacy, generalized self-efficacy, and global self-esteem. Journal of Career Assessment, 4, 285-298.
• Betz, N. E., & Hackett, G. (1997). Applications of self-efficacy theory to the career assessment of women. Journal of Career Assessment, 5, 383-402.
• Betz, N. E., & Schifano, R. S. (2000). Evaluation of an intervention to increase realistic self-efficacy and interests in college women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56, 35-52.
• Smith, H. M., & Betz, N. E. (2000). Development and validation of a scale of perceived social self-efficacy. Journal of Career Assessment, 8, 283-301.
• Hermann, Karen S. (2005). The influence of Social Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and personality difference on loneliness and Depression. Ohio State University. PhD Dissertation.

Items of the Perceived Social Self-Efficacy (PSSE)

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

1. Start a conversation with someone you don’t know very well.
2. Express your opinion to a group of people discussing a subject that is of interest to you.
3. Work on a school, work, community or other project with people you don’t know very well.
4. Help to make someone you’ve recently met feel comfortable with your group of friends.
5. Share with a group of people an interesting experience you once had.
6. Put yourself in a new and different social situation.
7. Volunteer to help organize an event.
8. Ask a group of people who are planning to engage in a social activity (e.g., go to a movie) if you can join them.
9. Get invited to a party that is being given by a prominent or popular individual.
10. Volunteer to help lead a group or organization.
11. Keep your side of the conversation.
12. Be involved in group activities.
13. Find someone to spend a weekend afternoon with.
14. Express your feelings to another person.
15. Find someone to go to lunch with.
16. Ask someone out on a date.
17. Go to a party or social function where you probably won’t know anyone.
18. Ask someone for help when you need it.
19. Make friends with a member of your peer group.
20. Join a lunch or dinner table where people are already sitting and talking.
21. Make friends in a group where everyone else knows each other.
22. Ask someone out after s/he was busy the first time you asked.
23. Get a date to a dance that your friends are going to.
24. Call someone you’ve met and would like to know better.
25. Ask a potential friend out for coffee.

Response Scale:

• 1=No Confidence
• 2= Little Confidence
• 3= Moderate Confidence
• 4= Much Confidence
• 5=Complete Confidence