Bruce Social Participation Questionnaire

Abstract

The Bruce Social Participation Questionnaire is a specialized, self-rating Questionnaire designed to quantify the extent of Social Participation among individuals who are Deaf. Developed by the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1960, the instrument covers various domains of social involvement.

Key areas assessed include social integration at work and within the wider community, the frequency of social interaction with hearing neighbors, and detailed inquiries into communication methods. Specifically, the questionnaire evaluates attitudes toward Sign Language, proficiency in Lip-reading, speech adequacy, and communication strategies employed both at home and in vocational or educational settings. Responses are structured and scored using a weighted system to derive a comprehensive measure of social engagement.

Keywords

Bruce Social Participation Questionnaire, Deafness, Hearing Impairment, Social Participation, Social Integration, Sign Language, Lip-reading, Communication Methods, Self-Rating Inventory, 1960.

Authors

The primary authorship of the Bruce Social Participation Questionnaire is attributed to the institutional body responsible for its development, the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. No individual author is explicitly indicated in the foundational documents.

Purpose

The central purpose of the Bruce Social Participation Questionnaire is to provide a standardized, quantitative assessment of the degree and quality of Social Participation exhibited by Deaf individuals. It aims to measure how effectively these individuals integrate into and interact with the hearing community across various life domains, including school, work, and neighborhood relationships.

The scale serves as a diagnostic or descriptive tool, allowing researchers and educators to gauge the impact of communication modes and disability on social outcomes, thereby informing intervention strategies aimed at enhancing social inclusion.

Construct

The questionnaire primarily measures the construct of Social Participation as it intersects with Deafness and associated communication methods. This construct is operationalized through several sub-domains:

• Social Integration: The frequency and depth of involvement in social activities within the community and workplace.

• Communication Efficacy: The perceived adequacy of speech, Lip-reading ability, and reliance on different communication modalities (oral, gestures, Sign Language).

• Interpersonal Relationships: The extent of close friendships and marital relationships with hearing versus deaf individuals.

By focusing on these specific areas, the instrument provides a multifaceted view of an individual’s engagement with the predominantly hearing world.

Validity

Specific details regarding the empirical establishment of validity (e.g., construct, concurrent, or predictive validity coefficients) for the Bruce Social Participation Questionnaire are not provided in the source documentation. However, the use of the instrument in established academic research contexts, such as the 1962 study by Kates, Kates, & Michael, implies a degree of face validity and contextual relevance for measuring social behaviors related to Deafness.

Reliability

Information concerning the reliability of the scale, such as internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) or test-retest reliability measures, is not detailed in the available source materials. Researchers utilizing this instrument are advised to conduct appropriate reliability checks based on their specific study population and context.

Factor Analysis

The source documentation does not include information regarding formal factor analysis conducted on the Bruce Social Participation Questionnaire. Given its development period in 1960, the scale likely relies on a theoretical or content-based grouping of items rather than empirical factor structure derived from exploratory or confirmatory techniques.

Instrument

Test Type: Inventory/Questionnaire

Format: Self-rating tool, generally employing categorical response options (e.g., None, Limited, Often) corresponding to a weighted scoring system.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Age Group: Based on associated research (Kates et al., 1962), the scale has been applied to adolescents and adults.

Population Details: The scale was developed specifically for individuals educated at or affiliated with oral institutions, such as the Clarke School for the Deaf, focusing on their integration into hearing society.

Test Methodology: The questionnaire is administered as a paper-and-pencil inventory, requiring respondents to select the most appropriate option describing their level of participation or communication skill across various social and vocational contexts. A weighted scoring system is then applied to these responses.

Keywords

Psychological assessment, Social integration, Communication skills, Oral training, Hearing impairment measures, Social Participation scale, Deaf culture, Oral communication, Vocational adjustment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not applicable (Institutional Author only)

Affiliation Email addresses: Not available

Correspondence Address: Clarke School for the Deaf, Northampton, Massachusetts, United States (circa 1960)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The instrument was developed in 1960. Permissions are generally authorized for use in research and teaching contexts. Information regarding current fees or commercial distribution is not available; however, due to its age and institutional origin, it is commonly referenced in foundational literature on deafness research.

Reference’s

The primary documented reference for the scale’s use and context is:

• Kates, S. L., Kates, W. W., & Michael, J. (1962). Cognitive processes in deaf and hearing adolescents and adults. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 76(32), 1–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093857

Items of the Bruce Social Participation Questionnaire

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

Name ________________________________

Age _____

Sex _____

Date ________________

Extent of Social Participation in Schools with Hearing Students

• None

• Commute

• Limited

• Comparable with Hearing

• Very Active

Extent of Social Participation at Work (Lunch Hour, Recreation Program)

• None

• Limited

• Sometimes

• Often

Extent of Social Participation in Community

• None

• Sports

• PTA

• Church

• Projects w/ Neighbors

• Community Projects

• Formal Entertainment at Home

Extent to Which Hearing Neighbors Visit in Your Home

• Never

• Seldom

• Occasionally

• Often

Extent to Which You Visit Homes of Hearing Neighbors

• Never

• Seldom

• Occasionally

• Often

Extent of Close Friendships with Hearing

• Mainly Hearing

• Hearing People and Oral Deaf

• Oral Deaf Only

• Hearing, Oral Deaf, Non-oral

• Oral and Non-oral

• Non-Oral Only

Extent to Which You Have General Activities with Hearing

• Extensive

• Some

• Limited

• Seldom

• None

With Whom Did You Marry

• Hearing

• Hard of Hearing

• Clark Alumni

• Orally trained Deaf

• Non-oral Deaf

• Single

Attitude toward Sign Language

• Don’t use it

• Seldom use it

• Occasionally use it

• Frequently use it

Adequacy of Speech

• Seldom

• Limited to the extent that it was inadequate in public

• Speech is a constant asset at work, school, in community

Adequacy of Lip Reading

• Inadequate in Most Situations

• Hesitate to Depend Completely on Lip Reading in Public

• Occasional Difficulty in Public

How Do You Communicate at Home?

• Pure Oral

• Oral plus gestures

• Oral, gestures, signs

• Signs and gestures

How do you communicate at work or school?

• Pure Oral

• Oral plus notes

• Oral plus note plus gestures

• Gestures and notes

• Signs, notes and gestures

Dependency of Speech in Vocational Activities

1. Could not hold present position if I couldn’t speak

2. Changes would be required, probably at a loss in salary

3. Speech valuable but not essential.