Description

The Social Competence Scale — Parent Version (SCSPV-12) is a psychometric assessment tool designed to measure children’s social competence from the perspective of their parents. The questionnaire is used in research and clinical settings to evaluate children’s social skills and social behaviour.

The scale focuses on important aspects of children’s social functioning, including cooperation, empathy, the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with peers, and adaptive social interactions. Parents provide information about their children’s behaviours and interactions through a structured self-report format.

Objective

The main objective of the SCSPV-12 is to provide a reliable and valid assessment of children’s social skills based on parental observations.

The scale allows researchers and health professionals to better understand children’s social interactions and social development. It can contribute to identifying areas requiring intervention or support and to promoting positive social behaviour and improved social skills.

Structure and Content

The SCSPV-12 evaluates children’s social competence through parental ratings of everyday behaviours and interactions.

The assessed areas include:

Cooperation: The child’s ability to participate constructively in activities and interactions with others.

Empathy and Social Understanding: The ability to recognize and respond appropriately to the emotions and needs of others.

Peer Relationships: The ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with other children.

Social Behaviour: General patterns of adaptive and positive interpersonal functioning.

Scoring Method

The SCSPV-12 uses a Likert-type response scale, where parents rate the frequency or intensity of their child’s behaviours in different situations.

Responses are typically rated from:

1 = Never

to

5 = Always.

Scores are combined to produce an overall indication of the child’s social competence. Higher scores indicate stronger social competence, whereas lower scores may indicate areas requiring further development or support.

Data Analysis and Use

Data obtained from the SCSPV-12 can be analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and validity procedures.

The scale can be used in developmental psychology, educational research, clinical assessment, and intervention planning. It may support the identification of children who need targeted support in social skills development.

Validity and Reliability

The reliability and validity of the SCSPV-12 are supported through research evaluation and statistical analyses examining the consistency and accuracy of the instrument.

The use of parent ratings provides valuable information about children’s social functioning across everyday environments.

References

Clark, L., Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1985). Development and validation of a social skills assessment measure: The TROSS-C. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 4, 347–356.

Gesten, E. L. (1976). A Health Resources Inventory: The development of a measure of the personal and social competence of primary-grade children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 44, 775–786.

Kendall, P. C., & Wilcox, L. E. (1979). Self-control in children: Development of a rating scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 1020–1029.