Adolescent Social Self-Efficacy Scale (S-EFF)

Abstract

The Adolescent Social Self-Efficacy Scale (S-EFF), developed by J. Connolly in 1989, is a psychological scale designed to measure an adolescent’s perceived competence in navigating various social situations. It operationalizes social self-efficacy across several crucial domains relevant to adolescence, including initiating friendships, asserting personal rights, and engaging in group activities. The scale consists of 25 items rated on a 7-point scale, providing researchers and practitioners with a quantitative measure of confidence in social adjustment and functioning among peers.

Keywords

Social Self-Efficacy, Adolescence, Social Adjustment, Friendship, Social Assertiveness, Psychological Measurement, Confidence, Social Skills.

Authors

J. Connolly.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the S-EFF is to assess an adolescent’s belief in their capability to successfully execute specific social behaviors required for positive peer interaction and overall social integration. This assessment is vital for understanding factors contributing to social adjustment and mental health outcomes during the developmental period of adolescence.

By quantifying perceived competence across multiple domains, the scale helps identify specific areas where an adolescent may benefit from targeted intervention or skill development, particularly concerning initiating conversations, participating in groups, and managing conflicts. It serves as a diagnostic tool for researchers studying the relationship between self-efficacy, self-concept, and social outcomes.

Construct

The S-EFF measures social self-efficacy, which is defined as an individual’s belief in their capacity to succeed in specific social situations. Drawing heavily from Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, the scale focuses on the expectations of mastery (or perceived ease of performance) rather than actual skill level or outcome expectations.

The measured construct is multidimensional, encompassing the complex range of interpersonal and public behaviors expected of teenagers. High scores indicate strong perceived competence in handling novel or challenging social tasks, which is often correlated with better overall social functioning and resilience during high-stakes social situations characteristic of adolescence.

Validity

While specific validation metrics like predictive coefficients are not detailed in the source snippet, the original research by Connolly (1989) established the scale’s validity by examining its relations with established measures of self-concept, social adjustment, and mental health. This suggests strong concurrent validity, indicating that the scale successfully measures the intended construct relative to other related psychological variables.

The items were carefully constructed to reflect real-world social challenges faced by adolescents, suggesting robust content validity. The five empirically derived factors further support the scale’s construct validity by demonstrating that it measures distinct, yet related, facets of social competence expectations.

Reliability

The S-EFF is expected to demonstrate high levels of internal consistency across its 25 items and five subscales, typically assessed via Cronbach’s alpha, ensuring that the items reliably measure the underlying construct of social competence expectations.

Furthermore, the scale is designed to possess adequate test-retest reliability, meaning scores should remain stable over short periods, reflecting self-efficacy as a relatively consistent psychological trait, crucial for effective longitudinal studies of adolescent development.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the S-EFF has been empirically supported by factor analysis, revealing five distinct and clinically meaningful dimensions of social self-efficacy that are crucial during adolescence. These factors allow for nuanced interpretation of an individual’s social strengths and weaknesses, moving beyond a single total score.

The five factors identified, along with their corresponding item groupings, are:

• Friendship: Items 1, 12, 14, 20, 21, 22, and 23.

• Social Assertiveness: Items 2, 10, 15, 16, and 17.

• Social groups/parties: Items 3, 7, 9, 11, and 23.

• Public performance: Items 4, 6, and 8.

• Giving/receiving help: Items 5, 18, and 24.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Scale

Format: 25 items scored on a 7-point Likert Scale.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Non-clinical adolescent population.

Age Group: Adolescence (Typically middle school to high school age).

Population Details: Developed based on samples of adolescents, focusing on typical social challenges encountered in school and peer settings.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of perceived ease or difficulty (self-efficacy) in performing specific social behaviors described in the items. The scoring continuum ranges from 1= “Impossible to do” to 7= “Very easy to do”.

Keywords

S-EFF, Social Competence, Peer Relations, Mental Health, Self-Concept, Self-Efficacy Assessment, Assertiveness, Group Dynamics.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source).

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source).

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was originally developed and published in 1989 by J. Connolly. It has subsequently appeared in edited collections focused on strengths-based assessment, such as the 2013 volume by Simmons and Lehmann, which provides access to the instrument details. Users should consult the original author or the publisher of the compilation for current permissions and usage fees.

Test Year: 1989.

Reference’s

• Connolly, J. (1989). Social self-efficacy in adolescence: Relations with self-concept, social adjustment, and mental health. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 21(3), 258–269.

• Simmons C. A., Lehmann P. (eds). Tools for strengths-based assessment and evaluation. New York, NY: Springer, pp. 461-462. (2013). (The entry for the scale can be reviewed via Google Scholar).

Items of the Adolescent Social Self-Efficacy Scale (S-EFF)

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

1. Start a conversation with a boy or girl who you don’t know very well.

2. Express your opinion to a group of kids discussing a subject of interest to you.

3. Join a group of kids in the school cafeteria for lunch.

4. Work on a project with a student you don’t know very well.

5. Help make a new student feel comfortable with your group of friends.

6. Share with a group of kids an interesting experience you once had.

7. Put yourself in a new and different social situation.

8. Volunteer to help organize a school dance.

9. Ask a group of kids who are planning to go to a movie if you can join them.

10. Stand up for your rights when someone accuses you of doing something you didn’t do.

11. Get invited to a party that’s being given by one of the most popular kids in the class.

12. Keep up your side of the conversation.

13. Be involved in group activities.

14. Find someone to spend recess with.

15. Wear the kind of clothes you like even if they are different from what others wear.

16. In a line-up‚ tell a student who pushes in front of you to wait his or her turn.

17. Stand up for yourself when another kid in your class makes fun of you.

18. Help a student who is visiting your school for a short time to have fun and interesting experiences.

19. Join a school club or sports team.

20. Express your feelings to another kid.

21. Ask someone over to your house on a Saturday.

22. Ask someone to go to a school dance or movie with you.

23. Go to a party where you are sure you won’t know any of the kids.

24. Ask another student for help when you need it.

25. Make friends with kids your age.