Prosocial Behaviors of Children

Abstract

The Prosocial Behaviors of Children scale, developed by McConnell, Strain, and Kerr in 1984, is a psychological instrument designed to assess the frequency of positive social, emotional, and academic behaviors demonstrated by children. This scale comprises 19 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, providing a detailed profile across four distinct subscales: Social Competence and Prosocial Behavior, School Adjustment, Peer Preferred Behavior, and Teacher Preferred Behavior. It serves as a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners monitoring the development of positive behavioral repertoires in youth, particularly those engaged in intervention programs.

Keywords

Prosocial Behavior, Child Development, Social Competence, School Adjustment, Peer Relations, Teacher Preferred Behavior, Emotion Regulation, Behavioral Assessment

Authors

McConnell, Strain, Kerr, et al.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Prosocial Behaviors of Children scale is the systematic assessment of a child’s positive social interaction skills and adaptive classroom behaviors. The instrument aims to quantify the degree to which a child exhibits behaviors that promote successful peer integration and academic engagement, thereby providing a measurable baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of social skills training or behavioral interventions.

By differentiating between peer-preferred and teacher-preferred behaviors, the scale offers a nuanced perspective on a child’s overall adjustment within the school setting. A high score across any of the subscales is indicative of a robust display of prosocial behavior and adaptive functioning.

Construct

The scale measures an integrated construct of positive social and adaptive behavior, which is operationally defined through three core psychological constructs:

• Prosocial Behavior and Social Competence: This measures the child’s ability to initiate and maintain positive interactions with peers, including sharing, initiating play, and sustaining conversations. It reflects the overall capacity for effective social functioning.
• School and Academics (School Adjustment): This focuses on behaviors necessary for successful participation in a structured learning environment, such as organization, attention to tasks, and adherence to classroom rules and assignments.
• Emotion Regulation: This construct is assessed through items related to constructive coping mechanisms, such as managing frustration, accepting criticism, and responding appropriately to conflict or teasing without resorting to aggression.

Validity

While specific statistical documentation regarding construct or criterion validity (e.g., correlations with other established scales) was not provided in the primary source document, the scale’s structure supports strong content validity. The items were clearly designed to capture observable, positive behaviors across critical domains of childhood functioning: peer relations, academic performance, and emotional control.

The derivation of four distinct subscales—Prosocial Behavior and Social Competence, School Adjustment, Peer Preferred Behavior, and Teacher Preferred Behavior—suggests that the authors employed empirical methods, likely including factor analysis, to ensure that the instrument measures theoretically distinct dimensions of prosocial behavior, providing structural evidence for its use in differential assessment.

Reliability

Detailed reliability coefficients (such as internal consistency measures like Cronbach’s Alpha or test-retest reliability) were not explicitly provided in the available compendium entry. However, the use of a multi-item structure and clearly defined scoring criteria suggests the developers aimed for high measurement consistency. Given its publication context within major research initiatives, it is generally assumed that the instrument underwent standard psychometric testing to ensure reliable measurement across observers or raters, particularly as it focuses on observable behaviors.

Factor Analysis

The scale is structured around four empirically derived subscales, which implies that a factor analysis (likely exploratory or confirmatory) was conducted during its development to group the 19 items into meaningful dimensions. These subscales are critical for interpreting results:

1. Prosocial Behavior and Social Competence Subscale: Composed of all 19 items, serving as an overall measure.
2. School Adjustment Subscale: Items 2, 7, 10, 11, 15, 18, and 19. Focuses on classroom compliance and academic readiness.
3. Peer Preferred Behavior Subscale: Items 1, 3, 8, 9, 13, 16, and 17. Measures behaviors that facilitate acceptance and positive interaction with peers.
4. Teacher Preferred Behavior Subscale: Items 5, 6, 7, 12, and 14. Measures behaviors that demonstrate compliance, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution skills valued by educators.

Instrument

Test Type: Behavioral Rating Scale (typically completed by teachers or observers)

Format: 19-item questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Children and Youth

Age Group: Typically used with elementary school-aged children, though specific age range depends on the context of the study (e.g., violence prevention or social skills training).

Population Details: This instrument has been utilized extensively in research focusing on behavioral interventions, conduct problems prevention, and the assessment of social skills deficits.

Test Methodology: Raters (usually teachers or other school personnel) assess the frequency of specific positive behaviors exhibited by the child using the following scoring system:

• Never = 1
• Rarely = 2
• Sometimes = 3
• Often = 4
• Frequently = 5

Scores are computed by summing individual item scores within the relevant subscales. Higher scores indicate greater frequency and proficiency in prosocial and adaptive behaviors.

Keywords

Behavioral Assessment, Social Skills, Peer Relations, Classroom Management, Teacher Rating, Social Competence, Adaptive Behavior, School Climate

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source material (Original affiliation was likely associated with the researchers’ institutions in 1984).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1984

Permissions and Fee: Information on current licensing fees or required permissions is not provided in the source material. However, the instrument was included in a publicly available compendium published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suggesting it may be available for research use without significant cost, though proper citation is required.

The original PDF compendium entry detailing this instrument can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/YV_Compendium.pdf. Additional documentation is available via: http://www.performwell.org/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=att_download&link_id=157&cf_id=24

Reference’s

McConnell, Strain, Kerr, et al. (1984). Prosocial Behaviors of Children. Found in: Dahlberg LL, Toal SB, Swahn M, Behrens CB. Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools, 2nd ed. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2005.

Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (1991). Technical Report. Durham, NC: Department of Psychology, Duke University.

Items of the Prosocial Behaviors of Children

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. Other children seek the child out to involve him/her in activities.
2. The child uses free time appropriately.
3. The child shares laughter with peers.
4. The child has good work habits (e.g.‚ is organized‚ makes efficient use of class time).
5. The child compromises with peers when a situation calls for it.
6. The child responds to teasing or name calling by ignoring‚ changing the subject‚ or some other constructive means.
7. The child accepts constructive criticism from peers without becoming angry.
8. The child plays or talks with peers for extended periods of time.
9. The child initiates conversation with peers in informal situations.
10. The child listens carefully to teacher instructions and directions for assignments.
11. The child displays independent study skills (e.g.‚ can work adequately with minimum teacher support).
12. The child appropriately copes without aggression from others (e.g.‚ tries to avoid a fight‚ walks away‚ seeks assistance‚ defends self).
13. The child interacts with a number of different peers.
14. The child can accept not getting his/her own way.
15. The child attends to assigned tasks.
16. The child keeps conversations with peers going.
17. The child invites peers to play or share activities.
18. The child does seatwork assignments as directed.
19. The child produces work of acceptable quality given her/his skill level.