Validation of Child Behavior Rating Scale in Singapore (Part 2): Convergent and Discriminant Validity

Background/ObjectiveIn a previous study, the Child Behavior Rating Scales (CBRSs) were found to assess interpersonal social skills (IPS) and learning-related social skills (LRSS) in young Singaporean children. This study aimed to evaluate the convergent validity of the IPS scale within the CBRS and the discriminant validity of the LRSS scale within the CBRS with a dynamic occupational therapist assessment, the Evaluation of Social Interaction (ESI).MethodsTeachers of 117 Singaporean children completed the CBRS. An occupational therapist assessed these children using the naturalistic observational tool ESI. The Rasch-derived scores from the two CBRS scales were correlated with the ESI scores.ResultsThe IPS scale within the CBRS demonstrated moderate correlation with ESI, indicating convergent validity. The LRSS scale within the CBRS demonstrated low correlation with ESI, indicating discriminant validity.ConclusionThis study provides additional validity evidence for the two newly identified CBRS scales. Results of this study suggest the potential of these scales for use by occupational therapists to measure different types of young children’s social skills.