Tool-Description

The Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI) is an interview-based scale used to evaluate two main aspects of social support: the availability and satisfaction with social contacts. The scale examines how well an individual is connected to their social network and how supportive that network is.
The ISSI assesses specific parameters such as:
Quantitative aspects: The number and frequency of the individual’s social contacts.
Qualitative aspects: The quality of the support the individual receives from these contacts, including the level of emotional and practical support.

Data Analysis and Usage

Data from the ISSI are collected through structured interviews, where individuals answer questions about their social relationships and the support they receive from their environment. The responses are quantitatively scored and analyzed to examine the depth of an individual’s social relationships.
Statistical techniques used for data analysis include:
Descriptive statistics to analyze key characteristics of social contacts and support.
Reliability analysis to determine the internal consistency of the scale and its subscales.
Correlational studies to explore the relationship between social support and other psychological variables, such as anxiety and depression.

Purpose

The primary goal of the ISSI is to measure the social support individuals receive and assess how satisfied they are with it. The scale helps to evaluate both the quality and quantity of social contacts and how these contacts provide emotional and practical assistance to the individual.
The ISSI is used in many clinical and research studies to:
Assess social support in individuals with psychological or physical health issues.
Study the impact of social support on mental health and well-being.

Calibration

The calibration of the ISSI is performed using the following psychometric techniques:
Reliability analysis to measure the internal consistency of the questions and subscales (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha).
Factor analysis to identify the dimensions of social support and validate the structure of the scale.
Cross-validation across different populations to confirm the reliability of the scale in various social groups.

Bibliography

Henderson, S., Duncan-Jones, P., Byrne, D. G., & Scott, R. (1980). Measuring social relationships: The Interview Schedule for Social Interaction. Psychological Medicine, 10(4), 723-734.
Undén, A. L., & Orth-Gomér, K. (1989). Development of a social support instrument for use in population surveys. Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicine, 17(3), 281-289.
Henderson, S. (1992). Social support and depression. In Veiel, H. O. F., & Baumann, U. (Eds.), The Meaning and Measurement of Social Support. Hemisphere Publishing Corporation.