Subjective Social Capital Scale for University Life (SSCS-U) : Validity and Reliability

Abstract

  The purposes of the present study were to develop a Subjective Social Capital Scale for University Life (SSCS-U), and to examine the reliability and validity of the scale.  Factor analyses showed that the 33-item Subjective Social Capital Scale for University Life consisted of 3 factors relating to subjective social capital in relation to (a) fellows, (b) classmates, and (c) faculty; the scale showed high reproducibility of these factors.  In addition, the scale was found to have high internal consistency, good test-retest reliability, and moderately high validity.  For the most part, the 3 factors were associated with psychological constructions considered theoretically as having close relationships to the Subjective Social Capital Scale for University Life, that is, subjective well-being, social skills, and social capital-related behavior.  The results of this study suggest that the Subjective Social Capital Scale for University Life is a reliable and valid measure for assessing subjective social capital comprehensively; this might make a useful contribution to research on social capital in university life.