Date of Award
8-30-2000
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Art
First Advisor
Marilyn Patterson
Second Advisor
Anita Sankar
Third Advisor
Robert Bertolino
Abstract
Perceived social support can be defined as the perception of an individ1tal to feel emotional support and involvement from other people. Research indicates that social support is an important factor in physical as well as mental health. Because of today's pluralistic society, it is necessary for counselors to have an understanding of the differences between cultures, or races. There are many differences in the values of individuals from varying cultures. This study focuses on determining the differences in familial and non-familial perceived social support between subjects who are White, African-American, Asian, and Hispanic. Volunteers from St. Louis Community College and Lindenwood University were recruited to complete the Scales of Perceived Social Support as developed by MacDonald (1998). T-tests indicated that significant differences between Black and White participants existed in perceived family support and that significant differences between White and Hispanic participants existed in non-familial support. The resulting information can become an asset for counselors who work with multi-cultural clients.
Recommended Citation
Houston, Elizabeth A., "The Differences in Family and Non-Family Perceived Social Support Among White, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian Subjects" (2000). Theses. 123.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses/123