The Parent Version of the Preschool Social Skills Rating Scale: An Analysis of Its Use with Low-Income, EthnicMinority Children

This study examined the psychometric properties of the parent version of the preschool Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS-P) for low-income, African-American children. Analyses were conducted to test the construct validity of the SSRS-P and to determine the relationship between this measure and its parallel teacher version. Exploratory factor analyses supported the two-factor solution for the Behavior Problem scale proposed by the test authors. Instead of a four-factor solution, findings indicated only two factors for the Social Skills scale: Self-Control and Interpersonal Skill. Moreover, higher-order factor analyses of parent Social Skills and Behavior Problem factors showed only one dimension with the Social Skills and Behavior Problem as inverse poles of a single dimension. Comparison of the parent and teacher versions of the SSRS revealed no meaningful, expected relationships between them. Implications of these findings for cross-informant assessment of preschool social competency with low-income, ethnic minority children were discussed.