Abstract
Seven hundred adolescents (Chinese = 50%; South Asian ethnic minority = 50%) with mean age of 15.3 years (SD = 1.53). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess measurement invariance of the MSPSS scale across Chinese and South Asian ethnic minority samples. Results show that the original three-factor structure of the MSPSS was supported in both samples. Measurement invariance was supported in terms of configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance. Given partial scalar invariance was achieved, the latent mean differences were compared across samples. Chinese adolescents had higher levels of all three types of social support when compared with their South Asian ethnic minority counterparts. The present study attempts to assess the measurement invariance of the MSPSS across ethnic groups in Asian society, which sheds light on future research that involves perceived social support among adolescents in Chinese culture contexts.
Highlights
Adolescence is a period of life associated with significant challenges and changes (Lord et al, 1994)
Individuals are vulnerable to adjustment difficulties and might suffer from psychological distress (McDevitt and Ormrod, 2013)
Missing data were below 6% in both samples (Chinese: n = 5, 0.01%; ethnic minority: n = 20, 5.7%)
Summary
Adolescence is a period of life associated with significant challenges and changes (Lord et al, 1994) During this developmental period, individuals are vulnerable to adjustment difficulties and might suffer from psychological distress (McDevitt and Ormrod, 2013). Supportive social networks provide a sense of social integration and serve as a buffer against the deleterious effects of stress and uncertainty during this storm period (Wenz-Gross et al, 1997). They become more sensitive to joint influences of family and friends on their cognitive and psychosocial development during puberty (e.g., Ahmed et al, 2010; Oberle et al, 2011). The effects of social support varied by social contexts (e.g., family, friends, and school) as shown in cross-sectional (e.g., Mrug and McCay, 2013) and longitudinal studies (e.g., Wang and Eccles, 2012)
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