Construction of the Social Interaction Scale for Preschool Children with its Psychometric Properties

Abstract

This research aims to develop a social interaction scale for children aged 4-7 years and to identify its psychometric properties. This was achieved by administering the scale to a sample of 56 preschool children aged 4-7 years. The validity of the scale, initially consisting of 50 items, was calculated using two methods: expert validity, where it was presented to a panel of psychology experts. Six items were eliminated, seven were modified, and only those items with over 80% agreement were retained, resulting in a final version with 44 items. The scale's discriminatory power was also used as an indicator of its validity. The researcher calculated the significance of the differences between the mean scores of the upper quartile and the mean scores of the lower quartile for a group of 56 children to verify the scale's discriminatory ability. The significance level was 0.01, indicating the scale's ability to differentiate between high and low scores. Reliability was estimated using two methods: Cronbach's alpha and the split-half method. This was done by administering the scale to a sample of 56 children. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from 0.761 to 0.842, while the split-half coefficients ranged from 0.773 to 0.876. These are high reliability coefficients, indicating the scale's reliability. Furthermore, internal consistency was calculated between the score of each item on the social interaction scale and the total scale score. All scale items were statistically significantly correlated with the score of each skill to which they belonged, with a correlation at the 0.01 level. Correlation coefficients were also calculated between the total score for each component and the total scale score. The researcher calculated the correlation coefficient between the score of each dimension and the total scale score, and it was significant at the (0.01) level, confirming the scale's consistency and coherence. This indicates the scale's validity and readiness for application in assessment. Thus, the scale in its final form consists of (44) items distributed across four components: social communication, conversation and dialogue, social participation, and independence and responsibility.