CONSENT LETTER OF SUPERVISOR/GUIDE

This is to CERTIFY that the Project titled

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

for the partial fulfillment of MAPC Programme of IGNOU will be CARRIED out by Mr./Ms.
Enrolment No. ____________________, under
my GUIDANCE.

(Signature)

Name of the Supervisor :

Designation:

Address:

Date :
 Appendix-IV
PROFORMA FOR APPROVAL OF PROJECT
SYNOPSIS (MPCE 01a/02a/03a)
Enrolment Number:

Name and Address of the Learner:

Phone No. Email :

Study Centre
Programme Code: MAPC Regional Centre
Course Code: MPCE 01a/02a/03a (tick mark whichever is appropriate)

Title of the Project/ Dissertation Work:

(ENCLOSE the Proposal/Synopsis)

Name and Address of the Supervisor:

Is the Supervisor an ACADEMIC Counselor of MAPC Programme of IGNOU? Yes/ No

If Yes, Name and Code of the Study Centre he/she is ATTACHED with:
No. of Students Currently Working under the Supervisor for MPCE 016/026/036:
In case of other than Academic Counselor:
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS of the Supervisor:

Number of Years of Relevant EXPERIENCE:

(ENCLOSE the Bio-data of the Supervisor Refer, to Appendix-I)

Signature of the Student: Signature of Supervisor:

Date: Date:

NOTE: THE PROJECT PROPOSAL/SYNOPSIS WILL BE REJECTED IF THIS PROFORMA IS

NOT COMPLETELYFILLED.
Enrolment Number: Regional Centre:

Name of the Learner:

Title of the Project:

Name and Address of the Supervisor:

For Office Use Only

Supervisor: Approved Not
Approved Synopsis (Put a tick mark (√) as
appropriate):
a) Approved − Synopsis is approved as submitted.
b) Approved after MODIFICATIONS as suggested − INDICATING that the synopsis is approved
SUBJECT to the INCORPORATION of the SPECIFIC MODIFICATIONS.

G) Not Approved.
Comments/Suggestions:

(Signature & Stamp of

FACULTY) DISCIPLINE of
PSYCHOLOGY SOSS,
IGNOU, New Delhi
Note:
 1. This form with the COMMENTS should be ENCLOSED with the revised synopsis wherever
required.
2. In CASE of resubmission, original synopsis needs to be submitted along with the revised
synopsis.
3. Appendix IV, indicating the approval of the synopsis, should be attached with the final project
report/dissertation.

Name and Address of the Learner:

Phone No. Email :

Regional Centre Study Centre

Successfully completed MPC-005 & MPC-006 Yes No

Title of Dissertation:

Name, Designation & Address of the Guide*: ..........................................................................

..............................................................................
*Guide is (Please tick mark):

a) Academic counselor b) from Approved list by IGNOU c) Other

Signature of Student: Signature of Guide

Date: Date:

Synopsis (put a tick mark as appropriate):

a) Approved
b) Approved with modifications as suggested
c) Not approved
Signature of Synopsis Evaluator
Name :
Designation :
Address :
Date:

4
 SYNOPSIS OF PROJECT WORK FOR MASTERS DEGREE

IN PSYCHOLOGY

NAME OF THE FACULTY: FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT: PSYCHOLOGY

NAME OF THE STUDENT: HUMAIRAH NAYEEM

ENROLLMENT OF THE STUDENT: 2006324886

NAME OF THE SUPERVISOR: DR MUZAFAR HUSSAIN KAWA

SUMBITTED TO: SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY, INDRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN

UNIVERSITY, NEW DELHI

PROPOSED TITLE:

“PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MALE AND

FEMALE SCHOOL TEACHERS OF KASHMIR(DISTRICT BUDGAM)”

Signature of Counselor Signature of Candidate:

5
Introduction

Perceived Social Support

The origins of the concept of social support can be found in well-known sociologists such

as Durkheim’s link between diminishing social ties and an increase in suicide. Social support has

evolved from term ‘‘social ties’’ (Vaux & Harrison, 1985). Social support can be defined as “an

exchange of resources between at least two individuals perceived by the provider or the recipient

to be intended to enhance the well-being of the recipient” (Shumaker & Brownell, 1984). Wills

(1991) described social support as the perception or knowledge of life that an individual feels

loved and cared for, and valued, and part of a social network of reciprocal assistance and

obligations.

Social support can be occur in three forms: Information support involves an individual

help which a person provides another to understand a problematic event better and to ascertain

what resources and coping strategies may be needed to deal with it. Instrumental support

involves the provision of tangible assistance such as services, financial assistance, and other

specific aid or goods. Emotional support involves providing, contentment and nurturance to

another individual and reassuring the person that he or she is a valuable person who is cared

about (Taylor, Sherman, Kim, Jarcho, Takagi & Dunagan, 2004).

Perceived social support refers to a person's perception of readily available support from

friends, family, and others (Hobfoll & Vaux, 1993). It is the individual’s belief that one is cared

for and loved, esteemed and valued, and belongs to a network of communication and mutual

obligations (Cobb, 1975). Perceived Social support has generally been found to promote

psychological well-being, as well as to buffer the effects of stress (Brissette, Scheier & Carver,

6
2002). Social support is an important aspect of modern cancer care. It is reported that social

support provided by the families and friends of the cancer-diagnosed patients results in positive

outcomes in the course of the disease by affecting general wellness of the cancer patients (Dedeli

et al., 2008; Clark et al., 2006). Social support and assistance with daily life are important

elements of the endeavor to reduce and compensate for the disadvantages that result from cancer

and therapies (Ozkan & Ogce, 2008).

Literature Review

A great deal of research (Katz & Bender 1976; Taylor et al., 1986; Sarason et al., 1987;

Samarel et al., 1997) reports perceived social support as an important source of emotional

support that facilitates the psychological adjustment to cancer. Perceived social support act as a

barrier against high-stress for individuals, satisfy their feelings of commitment and help protect

and strengthen feelings of identity (Sorias, 1992; Şahin, 1999; Kaymakçıoğlu, 2001; Aksüllü and

Doğan, 2004). Having a low level of social support can negatively affect individuals’ mental

status (Ozbas, 2008).

Meaning in life is regarded as a positive variable—an indicator of well-being (Ryff,

1989), a facilitator of adaptive coping (Park & Folkman, 1997), and a marker of therapeutic

growth (Crumbaugh & Maholick, 1964). Moreover, people who can find meaning in negative

experiences, such as cancer (Jaarsma, Pool, Ranchor, & Sanderman, 2007; Lethborg, Aranda,

Cox & Kissane, 2007; Visser, Garssen & Vingerhoets, 2010) seem to cope better with the

situation, in comparison to those Lack of meaning is thought to underlie psychological disorders.

On the other hand, lack of meaning, or confusion about meaning in life, is associated with both

distress and social isolation (Maddi, 1967). A cancer diagnosis that threatens an individual’s

sources of meaning over long periods of time may cause greater difficulty with adjustment.

7
 Stress in the workplace is not a new phenomenon; yet, as a threat to employee’s health

and well-being, its severity is greater than ever before. While technology has made aspects of

many jobs easier, it has also added to the anxieties of office life through information overload,

heightened pressure for productivity, and a threatening sense of impermanence in the workplace.

In 1996, the World Health Organization labeled stress a “worldwide epidemic.” Today,

workplace stress is estimated to cost American companies more than $300 billion a year in poor

performance, absenteeism and health costs (Smith, 1999). Previous research has well argued that

experiencing continuous stress in work settings (e.g., heavy work load and time) has deleterious

effects on employees' job 2 satisfaction, mental and physical well-being (for reviews see Kasl,

1974, 1978), suggesting symptoms of “burning out” (Koniarek, & Dudek, 1996). Freudenberger

(1974) was the first to use the term burnout to denote a state of physical and emotional depletion

that results from stressful conditions of work. Maslach and Jackson (1982) defined burnout as a

syndrome of emotional exhaustion and cynicism toward one's work as a response to chronic

stressors. To further understand characteristics of burnout, Maslach (1982) explains that burnout

is composed of three elements that include emotional exhaustion (a feeling that one’s emotional

resources are depleted), depersonalization (a.k.a. disengagement or cynicism, is the act of pulling

away from one’s job and those individuals associated with it), and reduced feelings of personal

accomplishment (the notion that many individuals feel as though they are no longer as good at

their jobs, in part because they have not been able to cope with the job’s stressors).

Statement of the Problem

The current research is entitled as “perceived social support: a comparative study of male and

female school teachers of Kashmir ”. It is evident by the title that the nature of the study is

comparative in nature.

8
Scope of the study

Recent investigations of workplace social support have focused on evaluating the impact of

support received from various sources, typically supervisors and colleagues (Brough & Frame

2004). Supervisor social support, in particular, has been identified as alleviating the negative

consequences of occupational stress across a variety of job contexts. For example, Schirmer and

Lopez (2001) investigated the effects of supervisor support on occupational stress in a sample of

250 US university employees. Their results indicated that the perception of support from

supervisors significantly reduced reported levels of psychological strain. Similarly, Bliese and

Castro’s (2000) examination of psychological strain in 1,538 US Army soldiers demonstrated

that role clarity and decision latitude (i.e. job control) were only beneficial in buffering the

effects of psychological strain in conditions where soldiers reported high levels of supervisor

support. Other investigations, however, have failed to demonstrate this moderating effect of

supervisor support and have focused instead on the direct relationship between supervisor

support and occupational stress outcomes. Cohen and Wills (1985) suggested that difficulties in

demonstrating the moderating effects of workplace support could be due to inadequate

definitions of the type of social support being measured. They concluded that most investigations

either failed to specify the type of support, or otherwise combined multiple facets into a single

composite measure of social support. Therefore, little is known about which component of

workplace social support is more effective in alleviating the impact of job stressors. Thus it

remains to be seen whether practical support (advice, resources or expertise), emotional support

(listening, showing concern or consideration), or a combination of both, more effectively reduces

symptoms of occupational strain. Other psychological constructs such as coping behaviours have

been distinguished by a similar taxonomy (i.e. problem-focused coping and emotion-focused

9
coping (Folkman, et al., 1986); and this taxonomy demonstrates distinctive results with work-

related psychological outcomes (eFolkman & Moskowitz 2004). For example, practical coping

behaviours (e.g. active problem solving, prioritising job demands) are associated with positive

workplace psychological outcomes, whilst emotion-focused coping behaviours (e.g. seeking

sympathy, discussing problems) are associated more strongly with negative strain outcomes

(Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004), although the validity of classifying coping behaviours by this

taxonomy has recently been questioned.

Objectives of the study

1. To study the difference in perceived social support between male and female school

teachers.

2. To study the difference in perceived social support among school teachers with respect to

the nature of the job.

3. To study the difference in perceived social support among school teachers with respect to

their educational qualification.

Research Hypotheses

Ho1There will be no significant difference in perceived social support between male and female

school teachers.

Ho2 There will be no significant difference in perceived social support between private and

government school teachers.

Ho3 There will be no significant difference in perceived social support between graduate and

post graduate school teachers.

10
 Methodology

Participants

The participants for the present study will be 100 school teachers. The sample will be

drawn from different schools of District Budgam. The sample will be divided in terms of

variables i.e. gender, nature of job and educational qualification. The sampling technique will be

purposive in nature.

Research Design

The current research is comparative in nature which is evident from its title and

objectives.

Tools Used

In the present study, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived will be used as a tool of

research.

Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support

The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support scale (MSPSS) was developed by

Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley in 1988 to measure social support. The MSPSS is a 12-item

scale, self-report instrument. It measures individuals social support from three specific areas

namely family, friends, and significant others. Each of the 3 areas has 4 subscales. Items were

measured on 7-point Likert-type scale from 1 ‘very strongly disagree’ to 7 ‘very strongly agree’.

The MSPSS evaluates perceived social support (PSS) from family (FA), friends (FR), and

significant others (SO) and quantifies the degree to which respondents perceive support from

each of these three sources, namely FA, FR and SO.

Data Analysis
11
 The data of the present study will be analyzed by using appropriate statistical techniques

Mean

SD

Independent-sample t-test

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19