An Examination of the Convergent Validity of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (Messier) with Sociometric Ranking

Social competence and social skills have become important concepts in the evolving definitions of mental retardation. The current study examined the convergent validity of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (MESSIER), a reliable scale for assessing social behaviour in persons with severe and profound mental retardation. To accomplish this goal, scores on the MESSIER were compared to an acknowledged anchor validity criterion, sociometric rankings of professionals who work with the clients assessed on a frequent basis. Sociometric rankings correlated highly with total MESSIER scores for 80% of raters indicating good support for the convergent validity of the MESSIER.