Positive and Negative Social Exchange Items (Newsom et al., 2003)

In the past month, how often did the people you know …

Positive social exchanges

(Informational support)

1. …offer helpful advice when you needed to make important decisions?

2. …make useful suggestions?

3. …suggest ways that you could deal with problems you were having?

(Instrumental support)

4. …do favors and other things for you?

5. …provide you with aid and assistance?

6. …help you with an important task or something that you could not do  on your own?

(Emotional support)

7. …do or say things that were kind or considerate toward you?

8. …cheer you up or help you feel better?

9. [In the past month] how often did you discuss personal matters or    concerns with someone you know?

(Companionship)

10. …provide you with good company and companionship?

11. …include you in things they were doing?

12. …do social or recreational activities with you?

Negative social exchanges

(Unwanted advice or intrusion)

13. …give you unwanted advice?

14. …question or doubt your decisions?

15. …interfere or meddle in your personal matters?

(Failure to provide help)

16. …let you down when you needed help?

17. …ask you for too much help?

18. …fail to give you assistance that you were counting on?

(Rejection or neglect)

19. …leave you out of activities you would have enjoyed?

20. …forget or ignore you?

21. …fail to spend enough time with you?

(Unsympathetic or insensitive behavior)

22. …do things that were thoughtless or inconsiderate?

23. …act angry or upset with you?

24. …act unsympathetic or critical about your personal concerns?

Social Disengagement Index (Bassuk et al., 1999)

In the past month, how often did you…

1. …attend meetings of clubs, or community or professional organizations?

2. …get together or talk on the phone with family members?

3. …get together or talk on the phone with friends?

4. …work on a hobby?

5. …play cards, bingo, or similar games?

6. …go out to movie, restaurant or sporting event?

7. …go out and do some shopping?

8. …day trips, overnight trips?

9. …do volunteer work?

UCLA Loneliness Scale-Abbreviated (Russell, 1996)

How often do you feel…

1. …isolated from others?

2. …that you belong to a group of friends?

3. …that no one really knows you well?

4. …that your relationships with others are not meaningful?

5. …that there are people who really understand you?

6. …that you lack companionship?