Examining Peer Support in students at University Level: A confirmatory Factor Analysis for Peer Support Perception Scale (PSPS) In Higher Education in Pakistan

Abstract

This study provides Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Peer Support Perception Scale (PSPS), developed by Nur Eva (2024), focusing on students from two universities in Pakistan. Peer support involves the sharing of knowledge, experience, and emotional, social, or practical assistance among students, which is essential for fostering academic success, psychological well-being, and social integration among university students worldwide.  Given that the PSPS is still relatively new, validating its reliability and accuracy within the specific cultural and demographic context of Pakistani universities is necessary. This study examines the psychometric properties of the Peer Support Perception Scale (PSPS) develped by Nur Eva (2024) among a total sample of 100 university students, enrolled in two universities of Pakistan. The instrument includes four subscales, namely Informational Support(IS), Instrumental Support(InS), Companionship Support(CS), and Esteem Support(ES). Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and reliability analysis, the scale’s factor structure and internal consistency (Cronbach's  alpha) were evaluated. Results showed that item 3 had a low factor loading value below the acceptable cutoff, and was therefore removed to improve the overall model fit. All other items demonstrated acceptable CFA loadings of 0.71 to 0.95 indicating strong associations with their respective factors. The reliability results revealed Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.84 for overall scale and for subscales (1) IS = 0.83, (2) InS= 0.79, (3) CS = 0.80 and (4) ES= 0.81, confirming excellent internal consistency. These findings indicate that the PSPS is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring  peer support in university students, supporting its application in the Pakistani higher education context.