Preschool Play Behavior Scale [PPBS-16]

Description

The Preschool Play Behavior Scale (PPBS-16) is an assessment instrument designed to evaluate the play behavior of preschool-aged children during free-play situations. The scale consists of 16 items, which are rated by teachers according to how frequently specific forms of social and non-social behavior are observed.

The instrument is particularly useful for distinguishing between different forms of solitary and socially withdrawn play, allowing a more detailed understanding of how children participate in or withdraw from peer activities.

Objective

The main objective of the PPBS-16 is to assess different forms of solitary and social behavior among preschool children during free play in kindergarten settings.

Through systematic observation of these behaviors, the scale can help identify possible social difficulties and support the development of appropriate educational interventions.

Structure

The 16 items of the PPBS-16 are organized into four main categories of play behavior:

Social Play: Refers to the child’s active participation in play activities and social interaction with peers.

Solitary-Passive Behavior: Refers to quiet and constructive forms of solitary activity in which the child plays alone without actively engaging with peers.

Solitary-Active Behavior: Refers to more active or repetitive forms of solitary play.

Reticent Behavior: Refers to hesitant, withdrawn, or limited participation in ongoing play activities.

This distinction allows the instrument to assess both the quality and frequency of different forms of non-social play in preschool-aged children.

Scoring

Each item is rated by the teacher using a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from:

1 = Never
2 = Rarely
3 = Sometimes
4 = Often
5 = Very often

The rating reflects how frequently the child displays a particular behavior during free-play situations.

According to the provided version, total scores across the 16 items may range from 16 to 80 points.

Interpretation may also focus on the individual subscales, since different forms of non-social play may reflect different aspects of children’s social functioning.

Validity

The PPBS-16 is reported to demonstrate good face validity.

The provided description also reports a statistically significant association between solitary play and other teacher-rated variables, including children’s social skills, with a correlation of r = 0.48. This finding provides support for the conceptual validity of the instrument.

Reliability

The PPBS-16 demonstrates satisfactory reliability indicators.

Inter-rater reliability is reported to be very high, with Cohen’s Kappa = 0.94, indicating a high level of agreement between raters.

Internal consistency is also reported as satisfactory, with Cronbach’s α = 0.87.

In addition, temporal stability is reported at test–retest = 0.80, supporting the stability of the measure over time.

Data Analysis and Use

The PPBS-16 can be used to identify children who show increased levels of solitary or withdrawn behavior during free play.

Analysis of the individual subscales allows researchers and educators to distinguish between different types of non-social play and to gain a more targeted understanding of children’s social behavior.

The resulting scores may also be examined in relation to demographic, social, or developmental characteristics, depending on the aims of the study.

Applications

The scale can be applied in research and educational settings focusing on preschool children’s social behavior.

It may be particularly useful for systematic observation in kindergarten and preschool environments, where patterns of social participation, solitary play, and withdrawal can be monitored.

The subscale structure can also support more targeted educational planning by helping distinguish among different forms of non-social behavior rather than treating all solitary play as a single phenomenon.

Conclusion

The Preschool Play Behavior Scale (PPBS-16) is a structured instrument for assessing social and non-social play behavior among preschool-aged children.

By distinguishing between social play, solitary-passive behavior, solitary-active behavior, and reticent behavior, the scale provides a differentiated picture of children’s participation during free play.

Its reported validity and reliability indicators support its use as a valuable tool in research and educational assessment of preschool social behavior.

References

Coplan, R. J., & Rubin, K. H. (1998). Exploring and assessing non-social play in the preschool: The development and validation of the Preschool Play Behavior Scale. Social Development, 7(2), 72–91.

Kalyva, E., Dimopoulou, S., & Filippou, O. (2004). The nature of non-social play among only children in kindergarten. Presentation at the 4th Panhellenic Conference “Learning and Teaching in the Knowledge Society.”