Development and validation of the Preschool Socioaffective Profile.

An analysis of the Preschool Socioaffective Profile (PSP) using a sample of 608 preschoolers revealed high internal consistency, interrater reliability, and stability for the 810-item scales and identified 3 coherent factors representing externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and social competence. Boys scored higher than girls on externalizing measures, but not on internalizing measures, which were largely orthogonal. PSP scores were correlated with Child Behavior Check List teacher ratings, and each scale was found to differentiate a clinical sample from the complete sample. Using a topological approach, the anxious-withdrawn group was found to be the least interactive with peers; the angry-aggressive group, the most interactive and most rejected; and the competent group, highest in sociometric status