Description

The Social Capital Questionnaire (SCQ-36) is a psychometric instrument designed to assess the social dimensions that constitute social capital at the individual level.

Social capital refers to the resources and benefits that arise from social relationships, networks, trust, participation, and connections within communities. The SCQ-36 evaluates the extent to which individuals are socially connected and engaged within their social environment.

Objective

The primary objective of the SCQ-36 is to estimate the social parameters that form social capital at an individual level.

The scale aims to assess aspects of social participation, interpersonal relationships, trust, sense of community, and involvement in social networks, providing information about the individual’s level of social integration.

Structure and Content

The SCQ-36 was developed by Onyx and Bullen (2000) and consists of 36 items divided into eight subscales.

The eight dimensions assessed by the questionnaire are:

Local community, evaluating involvement and connection with the local social environment.

Social action, assessing participation in collective and community activities.

Feelings of trust and safety, examining perceptions of trust, security, and confidence within social relationships.

Connections with the neighbourhood, evaluating the strength of relationships and interaction within the local area.

Family and friendship relationships, assessing the quality and availability of personal social networks.

Tolerance of diversity, measuring acceptance and openness toward different social groups.

Value of life, examining perceptions related to meaning, social contribution, and appreciation of life.

Relationship with work, assessing social connections and experiences within the workplace context.

The questionnaire is designed for completion by adults.

Scoring Method

The SCQ-36 uses a four-point Likert-type scale ranging from:

1 = Not at all

to

4 = Frequently.

The final score can be calculated either by summing all responses across the entire questionnaire or by calculating separate scores for each individual factor.

Higher scores indicate higher levels of social capital.

Data Analysis and Use

The SCQ-36 provides quantitative information regarding social relationships, community participation, trust, and social connectedness.

The collected data can be analysed to investigate differences in social capital between population groups and to examine associations between social capital and variables such as psychological well-being, health outcomes, occupational functioning, and quality of life.

Statistical analysis may include descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, factor analysis, correlation analysis, and comparative analyses between demographic or occupational groups.

The instrument is particularly useful in research examining how social networks and community participation influence individual and collective well-being.

Validity and Reliability

The SCQ-36 has demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties.

The subscales have shown adequate reliability, with internal consistency analysis demonstrating very good reliability:

Cronbach’s alpha (α) = 0.84.

The questionnaire has also been adapted and examined in different cultural contexts, including the Greek population.

Applications

The Social Capital Questionnaire can be applied in social psychology, public health research, community studies, occupational health, and studies examining social determinants of health.

It is particularly useful for evaluating how social relationships, trust, participation, and community involvement contribute to individual and social well-being.

References

Firouzbakht, M., Tirgar, A., Ebadi, A., Nia, H. S., Oksanen, T., Kouvonen, A., & Riahi, M. E. (2018). Psychometric properties of Persian version of the short-form workplace social capital questionnaire for female health workers. The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 9(4), 184.

Kritsotakis, G., Koutis, A. D., Alegakis, A. K., & Philalithis, A. E. (2008). Development of the social capital questionnaire in Greece. Research in Nursing & Health, 31(3), 217–225.

Onyx, J., & Bullen, P. (2000). Measuring social capital in five communities. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 36(1), 23–42.