Social Connectedness Scale

Abstract

The Social Connectedness Scale (SCS), initially developed by Richard M. Lee and Steven B. Robbins in 1995 and subsequently revised in 1998 (SCS-R), is a widely utilized self-report questionnaire designed to quantify the subjective feeling of connection individuals experience within their social environment. This 20-item instrument assesses the core psychological construct of belongingness by examining several key dimensions. These dimensions include feelings of closeness, perceived social support, and overall satisfaction with social relationships. The scale employs a 6-point Likert scale format, ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.” The total score is calculated by summing the scores of all items, which are reverse-scored, where higher cumulative scores indicate a stronger sense of social connectedness. The SCS is frequently employed in research and clinical settings to explore outcomes related to mental health, physical health, and general well-being.

Keywords

Social connectedness, Belongingness, Social support, Psychological distress, Well-being, Lee and Robbins, Self-report measure, Intimacy, Loneliness.

Authors

Richard M. Lee, Steven B. Robbins.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the Social Connectedness Scale (SCS) is to provide a standardized, quantifiable measure of an individual’s subjective sense of integration and connection with others. It aims to capture the emotional and psychological state of feeling related to one’s social world, distinguishing this internal sense from objective metrics like the size or frequency of one’s social network.

The scale serves as a critical tool in psychological research for investigating the role of robust social relationships in buffering against negative psychological outcomes, such as anxiety and depression, and promoting positive outcomes, including self-esteem and quality of life. Clinically, the SCS assists practitioners in assessing deficits in social integration among clients presenting with various mental health conditions.

Construct

The core construct measured by the SCS is Social Connectedness. This construct is defined as the subjective feeling of being close to, understood by, and belonging to one’s social groups and community. Lee and Robbins conceptualized this construct as multidimensional, encompassing several facets of relational quality:

• Belongingness: The fundamental feeling of being an accepted part of a group or community structure.
• Closeness: The perception of having intimate, deep relationships with others.
• Support: The belief that reliable individuals are available for help, understanding, and emotional reliance.
• Satisfaction: The overall positive evaluation of the quality and adequacy of one’s current social relationships.

The scale is designed to measure the absence of feelings of detachment or isolation, thus reflecting the successful integration of the individual into their social environment.

Validity

The SCS has demonstrated strong evidence of validity across multiple studies. Initial validation confirmed its theoretical alignment with related psychological constructs (convergent validity) while showing appropriate differentiation from distinct constructs (discriminant validity). The scale consistently shows strong negative correlations with measures of loneliness and alienation, and positive correlations with measures of self-esteem and social identity.

Furthermore, strong criterion validity is supported by the SCS’s predictive capacity regarding mental and physical health outcomes. Research has established that low scores on the SCS are associated with increased vulnerability to mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, supporting its utility as a reliable and clinically relevant measure of social integration.

Reliability

The Social Connectedness Scale exhibits high internal consistency, which is a key indicator of its reliability. Across various research samples, the scale has yielded strong Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, typically ranging in the high .80s to low .90s. This high level of consistency confirms that the 20 items reliably measure a unified underlying construct of social connectedness.

The demonstrated stability and precision of the SCS across diverse populations confirm the instrument’s robustness in psychometrics research, making it suitable for assessing the subjective experience of social connection.

Factor Analysis

The development of both the original Social Connectedness Scale (1995) and the Revised version (1998) utilized factor analytic techniques to confirm its structural integrity. While the scale is conceptually multidimensional, empirical factor analyses often support a strong general factor of social connectedness, allowing for the use of a single, total score to represent overall connection.

Although the initial conceptualization included dimensions like Closeness and Belongingness, the strong intercorrelation observed among items reflecting these sub-factors generally means that the scale functions effectively as a unidimensional measure in most research applications.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale (Questionnaire)

Format: 20 items (SCS-R). Responses are rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1=Strongly Disagree to 6=Strongly Agree). All items are reversed scored before summation. A high total score indicates greater connectedness.

Language Available: Primarily English (Validated translations may exist in subsequent academic literature).

Population Group: General population, including college students, adults, and clinical samples.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults.

Population Details: Applicable to individuals across various demographic and cultural backgrounds where the assessment of interpersonal relationships and subjective belonging is relevant.

Test Methodology: Administration is typically individual or group-based, requiring participants to rate their agreement with statements reflecting feelings of social integration or isolation.

Keywords

Social support, Self-esteem, Quality of life, Depression, Anxiety, Belonging, Likert scale, Lee and Robbins.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (For Richard M. Lee)

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: Original SCS (1995); Revised SCS (1998).

Permissions: This scale requires explicit permission from the authors (Lee & Robbins) for use in research or clinical settings.

Fee: Not specified in source content (Users should contact the authors for current usage terms).

The original PDF for the Revised Social Connectedness Scale (SCS-R) can be downloaded here: http://youthrex.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/The-Social-Connectedness-Scale-Revised.pdf

Reference’s

1. Lee, R. M., & Robbins S. B. (1995). Measuring belongingness: The social connectedness and the social assurance scales. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 42 (2): 232-241.
2. Lee, Richard, M., & Robbins, Steven, B. (1998). The Relationship Between Social Connectedness and Anxiety, Self-Esteem, and Social Identity. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45(3): 338-345.
3. Lee, Richard, M., Draper, M., and Lee, Sujin. (2001). Social Connectedness, Dysfunctional Interpersonal Behaviors, and Psychological Distress: Testing a Mediator Model. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 48(3): 310-318.

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Items of the Social Connectedness Scale

The following items are from the 20-item Revised Social Connectedness Scale (Lee & Robbins, 1998). Respondents rate their agreement using a 6-point scale where 1= Strongly Disagree and 6= Strongly Agree. All items are reversed scored for calculating the total connectedness score.

1. I feel comfortable in the presence of strangers
2. I am in tune with the world
3. Even among my friends, there is no sense of brother/sisterhood
4. I fit in well in new situations
5. I feel close to people
6. I feel disconnected from the world around me
7. Even around people I know, I don’t feel that I really belong
8. I see people as friendly and approachable
9. I feel like an outsider
10. I feel understood by the people I know
11. I feel distant from people
12. I am able to relate to my peers
13. I have little sense of togetherness with my peers
14. I find myself actively involved in people’s lives.
15. I catch myself losing a sense of connectedness with society
16. I am able to connect with other people.
17. I see myself as a loner.
18. I don’t feel related to most people.
19. My friends feel like family.
20. I don’t feel I participate with anyone or any group