Abstract: (2733 Views)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Emotional-social development in early childhood is the foundation of emotional-social development the proceeding stages. Development of emotional-social competency in children is thus prioritized in policies of education. To measure emotional-social competency in early childhood, several psychometric tools have been developed and validated. Nevertheless, in different societies, validation and normalization of these measures are tasks to be undertaken before implementing these tools. The objective of this study was to review and compare the adequacy of emotional-social competency and behavioral problems scales that were validated or normalized within samples of Iranian pre-school children.
Methods:
The studies of validation and/or standardization of scales of social and emotional competency and behavioral problems in Iran were found using online databases. Keywords included "standardization", "measuring", "evaluating", "assessment", "problems" and "tools" along with "emotional and social development", "behavioral", "early childhood" and "pre-school" was searched in both English and Farsi on the Barakat Knowledge Network System, SID, Magiran, PubMed, Irandoc, Science Direct, and Google Scholars. Thirteen articles were selected from 53. The criteria included 1) assessment of one or more of the social-emotional or behavioral developmental domains 2)presentation in the form of a questionnaire 3) validation or standardization of at least one Iranian sample population 4) target age from two to five years and eleven months. 4)Studies validated/standardized scales for sleep, attachment, temperaments or any of the subordinate factors such as a specific behavioral problem, self-help, or executive functions were excluded. 5)Also validation/standardization studies on specific groups such as exceptional children were excluded. Selected articles were evaluated using criteria from the National Research Council of America. Accordingly, each scale was examined to assess its suitability as a large scale survey. Assessment measures included psychometric properties, administration and scoring time, age range coverage, availability and ease of administration, having different forms and covering different behavioral, emotional-social domains were categorized. Scales were ranked into three levels: strong, medium, or weak based on each assessment measure.
They were then classified according to the characteristics required for a national instrument. The characteristics required for a national instrument, including psychometric properties, administration and scoring time, age range covered, availability and ease of administration, having different forms and covering different behavioral, emotional-social domains were categorized.
Results: Compared to other studies Normalization of Gresham & Elliot Social Skills Rating System for Amol Preschool Children; Validation, and Standardization of Social Skills Rating System for 3-6 Years Old Children in Tehran; Scale Validation of Abilities and difficulties Questionnaire in Iranian Children , And cross-cultural adaptation, standardization, and validation of Ages & Stages Questionnaire for Iranian Children with nine robust criteria in terms of Reliability, Validity, Representativeness of the sample group, administration and scoring time, age range covered, Availability and convenience in administration, need to train the examiner, parent/teacher forms and cover different areas of behavioral problems and emotional-social competencies.
In the category of strong psychometric properties, normalization/validation studies of Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) and Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) were strongest. In applicability in different regions, normalization/validation studies of Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS), SDQ and ASQ were strongest. Normalization/validation studies of SSRS, SDQ, Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), ASQ, Behavior Problem Questionnaire for preschool (Parent and Teacher), and Conner’s Rating Scale (Teacher and short form) were found “strong” by the criterion of ease of administration and scoring. Normalization/validation studies of VSMS, ECBI and California Social Development Scale measures gained “strong” in the category of covering a wide age range. In ability to evaluate different behavioral and social-emotional domains, among all studies, normalization/validation studies of SSRS reported “strong”.
Conclusion: The results of the review showed that the standardized scale in the study of cross-cultural compliance, standardization and validation of Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is the most illegible tool for national assessment of emotional-social development & behavioral problems for ages 4 to 60 months. The standardized scale in the validation and standardization of Social Skills Rating system (SSRS) in Tehran is recommended as a national scale for children from three to six years old.
Background & Objective: Emotional-social development in early childhood is the foundation of emotional-social development the proceeding stages. Development of emotional-social competency in children is thus prioritized in policies of education. To measure emotional-social competency in early childhood, several psychometric tools have been developed and validated. Nevertheless, in different societies, validation and normalization of these measures are tasks to be undertaken before implementing these tools. The objective of this study was to review and compare the adequacy of emotional-social competency and behavioral problems scales that were validated or normalized within samples of Iranian pre-school children.
Methods:
The studies of validation and/or standardization of scales of social and emotional competency and behavioral problems in Iran were found using online databases. Keywords included "standardization", "measuring", "evaluating", "assessment", "problems" and "tools" along with "emotional and social development", "behavioral", "early childhood" and "pre-school" was searched in both English and Farsi on the Barakat Knowledge Network System, SID, Magiran, PubMed, Irandoc, Science Direct, and Google Scholars. Thirteen articles were selected from 53. The criteria included 1) assessment of one or more of the social-emotional or behavioral developmental domains 2)presentation in the form of a questionnaire 3) validation or standardization of at least one Iranian sample population 4) target age from two to five years and eleven months. 4)Studies validated/standardized scales for sleep, attachment, temperaments or any of the subordinate factors such as a specific behavioral problem, self-help, or executive functions were excluded. 5)Also validation/standardization studies on specific groups such as exceptional children were excluded. Selected articles were evaluated using criteria from the National Research Council of America. Accordingly, each scale was examined to assess its suitability as a large scale survey. Assessment measures included psychometric properties, administration and scoring time, age range coverage, availability and ease of administration, having different forms and covering different behavioral, emotional-social domains were categorized. Scales were ranked into three levels: strong, medium, or weak based on each assessment measure.
They were then classified according to the characteristics required for a national instrument. The characteristics required for a national instrument, including psychometric properties, administration and scoring time, age range covered, availability and ease of administration, having different forms and covering different behavioral, emotional-social domains were categorized.
Results: Compared to other studies Normalization of Gresham & Elliot Social Skills Rating System for Amol Preschool Children; Validation, and Standardization of Social Skills Rating System for 3-6 Years Old Children in Tehran; Scale Validation of Abilities and difficulties Questionnaire in Iranian Children , And cross-cultural adaptation, standardization, and validation of Ages & Stages Questionnaire for Iranian Children with nine robust criteria in terms of Reliability, Validity, Representativeness of the sample group, administration and scoring time, age range covered, Availability and convenience in administration, need to train the examiner, parent/teacher forms and cover different areas of behavioral problems and emotional-social competencies.
In the category of strong psychometric properties, normalization/validation studies of Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) and Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) were strongest. In applicability in different regions, normalization/validation studies of Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS), SDQ and ASQ were strongest. Normalization/validation studies of SSRS, SDQ, Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), ASQ, Behavior Problem Questionnaire for preschool (Parent and Teacher), and Conner’s Rating Scale (Teacher and short form) were found “strong” by the criterion of ease of administration and scoring. Normalization/validation studies of VSMS, ECBI and California Social Development Scale measures gained “strong” in the category of covering a wide age range. In ability to evaluate different behavioral and social-emotional domains, among all studies, normalization/validation studies of SSRS reported “strong”.
Conclusion: The results of the review showed that the standardized scale in the study of cross-cultural compliance, standardization and validation of Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is the most illegible tool for national assessment of emotional-social development & behavioral problems for ages 4 to 60 months. The standardized scale in the validation and standardization of Social Skills Rating system (SSRS) in Tehran is recommended as a national scale for children from three to six years old.
Keywords: Social-Emotional Development Scale, Behavioral Problems Scale, Early Childhood, Pre-school Assessment
Type of Study: Review Article |
Subject:
Psychology
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