PRESCHOOL VERSION OF THE SOCIAL SKILLS RATING SYSTEM - AN EMPIRICAL-ANALYSIS OF ITS USE WITH LOW-INCOME CHILDREN

The purpose of the present stud, was to investigate the reliability an d validity of the published teacher version of the preschool Social Sk ills Rating System (SSRS) for Head Start children. Three major questio ns were addressed. First, does the published SSRS replicate the factor s found in the test manual, which are based on the tryout version of t he SSRS? Second, is there empirical support for two independent Social Skills and Problem Behaviors domains? Third, do sociometric indices o f peer acceptance provide convergent and divergent validity for SSRS c onstructs! The SSRS was administered to a sample of 943 urban Head Sta rt children. Exploratory factor analyses replicated the Internalizing and Externalizing factors from the tryout version but did not replicat e prosocial factors. Self-Control, Interpersonal Skills, and Verbal As sertion factors were found, but they were not identical to the tryout version factors. Higher-order factor analyses revealed only one social competency dimension with Social Skills and Problem Behaviors factors inversely related. Sociometric data did not provide convergent and di vergent validity for SSRS factors. Implications for the continued deve lopment of the SSRS include further study of the relationship between the Social Skills and Problem Behaviors scale, concurrent validity, an d the preschool patent version. (C) 1998 Society for the Study of Scho ol Psychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.