Education and Treatment of Children

Evidence for the validity of the Social Skills Rating System for Teachers, Preschool Level (SSRS-T) as a measure of positive social skills and conduct problems was examined in a sample of Head Start preschoolers. One feature of the study was the comparative analysis of the original published factor structure of the Social Skills Scale (i.e., Cooperation, Assertion, and Self-Control subscales) versus the factor structure newly derived by Fantuzzo and colleagues (i.e., Interpersonal Skills, Verbal Assertion, and Self-Control factors). The results revealed that both factor structures were psychometrically sound, with a theoretical advantage to the Fantuzzo factor structure in that these factors potentially measure more distinct aspects of social behavior. However, the Social Skills Scale was found to be both reliable and valid. The utility of the Externalizing subscale of the Problem Behavior Scale was also examined as a brief and low cost measure of conduct problems. This subscale converged with the Aggressive Behavior subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist and was inversely correlated with positive social behavior measures. Overall the SSRS-T, Preschool Level appeared to be a time-efficient means of capturing both positive and negative aspects of social behavior in one instrument.