Social Problem Solving Measure [SPSM-8]

Social Problem Solving Measure [SPSM-8]

Description

The Social Problem Solving Measure (SPSM-8) is an assessment tool designed to examine how children respond to and solve social and interpersonal problems. It includes 8 social scenarios involving situations such as peer conflict, group entry, and other challenging social interactions.

Purpose

The main purpose of the SPSM-8 is to assess the strategies children use when dealing with social problems and to explore aspects of social competence and interpersonal adjustment.

The measure can also be used to investigate relationships between social problem-solving patterns, aggressive behavior, and broader social functioning.

Scoring

Responses can be classified according to different social problem-solving strategies. Two commonly examined dimensions are Aggressive Strategies and Competent Strategies.

Higher scores on competent strategies generally indicate more adaptive and effective social problem solving, whereas higher scores on aggressive strategies indicate a greater tendency to respond to interpersonal difficulties through aggression.

Applications

The SPSM-8 can be used in developmental psychology, educational psychology, social psychology, and child behavior research. It may also be useful for evaluating interventions aimed at improving social skills and reducing aggressive behavior.

References

Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., & Pettit, G. S. (1990). Mechanisms in the cycle of violence. Science, 250(4988), 1678–1683.

Aber, J. L., Brown, J. L., Jones, S., & Samples, F. (1995). Adapting Measures of Children’s Beliefs, Attributions and Skills for Use in the Evaluation of Violence Prevention Projects. National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University.