Abstract
In recent years a number of operationalizations for different components of social support have been developed. Many of these assess perceived support. However, comparatively few instruments assess enacted support, i.e., actually provided or received support. In the present paper, we discuss a selection of either adapted or originally German inventories for the assessment of perceived and enacted social support. Aside from measures that are recipient-centered, we also included some more recent dyadic measures that take into account the providers’ as well as the recipients’ perspectives of the support transactions. Moreover, measures that explicitly aim at assessing social support in the context of physical illness are presented. We conclude with a brief discussion and summary of the measures&’ strengths and weaknesses.
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