The Parent Version of the Preschool Social Skills Rating System: Psychometric Analysis and Adaptation with a German Preschool Sample
Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
Published online on April 23, 2013
Abstract
The Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) developed by Gresham and Elliott (1990) is a multirater, norm-referenced instrument measuring social skills and adaptive behavior in preschool children. The aims of the present study were (a) to test the factorial structure of the Parent Form of the SSRS for the first time with a German preschool sample (391 children) and (b) to present a modified version appropriate for 3- to 6-year-olds in German preschools. The sample consisted of 391 children (187 males, 204 females) from German preschools and their parents. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) revealed a poor overall fit testing the original version. For the extended age range (3-6 years) a revised version of the SSRS with a reduced and newly composed item pool is proposed based on explorative factor analyses. Results are discussed with respect to practicability and revision of SSRS for German preschool populations.