Abstract
Objective:
Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale-30 (SCBE-30).
Method:
417 children (221 boys, 196 girls) between ages 31 to 73 (58 + 8.5) months, their mothers and their preschool teachers participated into the study. Teachers completed the SCBE-30 and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaires. Mothers completed questionnaires to report the child behavior problems and emotion regulation. Data on effortful control came from direct behavioral observations of 130 children.
Results:
Internal consistency and test-retest reliability coefficients supported the measure’s reliability. The three-factor structure of the original form consisting of Anger-Aggression, Social Competence and Anxiety-Withdrawal factors was replicated in the Turkish sample. A total of 204 boys and 183 girls were divided into early childhood (42-59 months) and school entry (60-73 months) groups. Mean scores and percentile ranks were calculated for each group and gender to establish the preliminary norms. Significant relations between the SCBE subscales and child age, gender, behavior problems, emotion regulation as well as effortful control skills supported the measure’s validity.
Discussion:
Results supported the reliability and validity of this short and comprehensive screening instrument for early identification of at-risk children who can benefit from preventive interventions.a
Keywords: Early childhood, school entry, behavior problems, social competence, psychometric evaluation, screening
