This paper presents a general overview and evaluation of the Social Skills Rating System. The bulk of the information presented in the overviews were obtained from comprehensive discussions of the instrument presented by Benes (1995) and Furlong and Karno (1995) in the Twelfth Mental Measurement Yearbook. The evaluation of the instrument is formulated based on the information presented in the overview.
Developed by Elliot, Husse and Gresham (1993), the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) was published in 1990 by the American Guidance Services for the purposes of:
(1) identifying and classifying children suspected of having social behavior problems; and
(2) assisting in the development of appropriate interventions for those identified as having social behavior problems.
Although, theoretically, all children can take the test, it is especially geared toward handicapped children or children with mild to moderate learning disabilities.
The SSRS is a standardized, norm-referenced instrument providing assessments of children's social skills, academic competence, and problem behavior using three evaluation methods: parent ratings, teacher ratings, and children's ratings. The parent and teacher forms are subdivided into preschool, elementary and secondary levels.
The multi-rater approach yields assessments in the domains of Cooperation (all forms), Assertion (all forms), Self-Control (all forms), Responsibility (Parent Form only) and Empathy (Student form only). There is also a Problem Behavior subscale said to assess internalizing, externalizing, and hyperactive behaviors. The Teacher's form also includes a general measure of academic competence.
Standardization was accomplished using a normative sample consisting of 4,170 children and adolescents, 1,027 parents, and 259 teachers. According to the manual, the sample included equal numbers of male and female students and "sufficient" numbers at each grade ...