Paper
Saturday, July 24, 2004
This presentation is part of : Method Testing
The Inventory of Social Support: Empirical Development and Testing
Nancy S. Hogan, RN, PhD, Professor Emeritus, School of Nursing, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA and Lee A. Schmidt, RN, PhD, School of Nursing, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Describe the difference between heuristically derived and empirically derived instruments
Learning Objective #2: Describe three characteristics of effective social support
Traditionally, instruments designed to measure behavioral variables have been developed using heuristic methods whereby items for the measure are borrowed from extant questionnaires and/or are constructed from experts’ opinion rather than from empirically generated data. Rationally developed measures may not represent theoretical reality and the findings from research using these measures may be of limited utility. In contrast, empirically developed measures are generated from qualitative data used to develop substantive theory. During data analysis, through the process of constant comparison, substantive theory is developed though an iterative validity checking process that increases theoretical construct validity. Measures derived from empirically generated theory permit investigators to have confidence in the inferences made from research findings.

This presentation will focus on the empirical development and testing of the Inventory of Social Support (ISS), a new instrument designed to measure perceived social support of bereaved adolescents and adults. Using data from interviews and written responses, the constant comparison method of analysis was undertaken until theoretical saturation was reached. Psychometric testing included test-retest reliability, criterion validity, and exploratory factor analysis. Factor analysis revealed the items form a unitary construct with the conceptual nature of the items revealed three conditions of effective social support in the bereft the need for someone who will take the time to listen, listen non-judgmentally, and allow the bereft to speak freely and openly about their grief.

The ISS was assessed to determine the degree to which the social support construct is an inherent component of the normal bereavement process. A structural model was generated to test the hypothesis that social support is a mediating variable in the bereavement process. Social support measured with the ISS was shown to significantly mediate a pathway between grief and recovery. Implications for developing research based practice are discussed.

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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004