Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS)

Abstract

The Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS), developed by Kendall and Wilcox in 1979, is a widely recognized instrument designed for the behavioral assessment of self-control capacities and impulsivity in children. It functions as a hetero-report measure, typically completed by parents or teachers who are familiar with the child’s typical behavior across various settings. The scale comprises 33 items intended to capture observable behaviors related to inhibitory control, delay of gratification, attention, and compliance. The SCRS is valuable in clinical psychology and research for identifying deficits in self-control, often associated with disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and conduct problems, and for monitoring the efficacy of behavioral interventions.

Keywords

Self-control, Impulsivity, Childhood behavior, Rating Scale, Behavioral assessment, Behavioral regulation, Inhibitory control, Kendall-Wilcox

Authors

Philip C. Kendall, L. E. Wilcox

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS) is to provide a reliable and quantifiable measure of a child’s ability to exert self-control in everyday situations. This includes assessing dimensions such as the capacity for delaying immediate rewards, maintaining attention on tasks, following instructions, and inhibiting disruptive behaviors. The SCRS allows clinicians and researchers to generate a profile of self-control deficits that can inform diagnostic decisions and guide the development of cognitive-behavioral interventions targeting specific areas of behavioral dysregulation.

The scale is particularly useful in research investigating the developmental trajectory of self-regulatory skills and in clinical settings where impulsivity and inattention are central concerns. By utilizing observer ratings, the SCRS captures the frequency and intensity of self-controlled versus impulsive behaviors as perceived by adults who spend significant time with the child.

Construct

The SCRS measures the psychological construct of self-control, defined broadly as the voluntary capacity to regulate internal states, emotions, and responses, especially when faced with conflicting goals or temptations. The construct operationalized by the SCRS encompasses several key components of self-regulation:

• Inhibitory Control: The ability to suppress dominant, pre-potent, or inappropriate responses (e.g., interrupting, grabbing items).
• Delay of Gratification: The willingness to forgo immediate smaller rewards for larger, future rewards (e.g., working toward long-range goals, waiting patiently).
• Attentional Regulation: The capacity to sustain focus and resist distraction (e.g., sticking to tasks, sitting still).

These components are considered facets of executive functions essential for adaptive functioning in academic and social environments. The scale items reflect concrete, observable behaviors linked to these underlying cognitive and behavioral regulatory processes.

Validity

While specific validity coefficients were not detailed in the provided source fragment, the SCRS has established strong psychometric properties in subsequent academic literature. Initial studies by Kendall and colleagues demonstrated good concurrent validity, showing significant correlations between SCRS scores and measures of observed behavior in laboratory settings, as well as scores on other established measures of impulsivity and attention problems, such as the Conners Rating Scale.

Furthermore, the scale has demonstrated predictive validity, successfully differentiating clinical samples (e.g., children diagnosed with conduct disorder or ADHD) from non-clinical controls. Modifications, such as those by Lennings (1991) for delinquent populations, further attest to its applicability across diverse groups where deficits in behavioral regulation are prominent.

Reliability

The Self-Control Rating Scale exhibits high levels of internal consistency and stability over time.

• Internal Reliability: The internal consistency, measured using Cronbach’s alpha, was reported as 0.98, indicating exceptional homogeneity among the 33 items and suggesting that they reliably measure the same underlying construct of self-control.
• Test-Retest Reliability: The stability of the measure was assessed using a test-retest procedure over a 3-4 week interval for a sample (n=24). The resulting coefficient was 0.84, which demonstrates strong temporal stability for the measure.

Factor Analysis

The original intent and common clinical use of the SCRS treat it as a unidimensional measure, yielding a single, overall score reflecting the child’s level of self-control or impulsivity. However, subsequent factor analyses performed by various researchers have sometimes suggested the presence of two or more correlated factors. These factors often align with distinct behavioral domains, such as:

• Behavioral Inhibition/Impulsivity (e.g., interrupting, waiting turn).
• Cognitive Planning/Attention (e.g., sticking to tasks, working for long-range goals).

Despite these findings, the total score remains the most widely cited and utilized metric for assessing general self-control competence across research and practice.

Instrument

Test Type: Parent and/or Teacher Rating Scale (Hetero-report)

Format: 33 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = never, to, 7 = always)

Language Available: Primarily English, though translations and adaptations exist in several other languages due to its extensive use.

Population Group: Children and adolescents exhibiting typical or problematic behavioral functioning.

Age Group: Typically utilized for elementary school-aged children (ages 6 to 12), but applicable across the school years.

Population Details: Used with both general population samples and clinical populations, particularly those presenting with externalizing disorders such as ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD).

Test Methodology: An adult observer (parent or teacher) rates the frequency of 33 specific behaviors demonstrated by the child over a defined period, providing a standardized measure of behavioral assessment.

Keywords

Psychological measurement, Child development, Clinical psychology, Self-regulation, ADHD assessment, Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Self-Control Rating Scale was first published in 1979. As a measure published in academic journals, it is generally considered to be in the public domain for research and non-commercial educational use, though users should always consult the original publication or authors regarding specific permissions.

The instrument can be found referenced online at: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Journal-Research-in-Childhood-Education/86875101.html

Reference’s

• Kendall, P. C., & Wilcox, L. E. (1979). Self-control in children: Development of a rating scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 1020-1029.
• Kendall, P. C., Zupan, B. A., & Braswell, L. (1981). Self-control in children: Further analyses of the Self-Control Rating Scale. Behavior Therapy, 12, 667-681.
• Kendall, P. C., & Hays, R. C. (1988). Self-control rating scale. In M. Hersen & A. Bellack (Eds.), Dictionary of behavioral assessment (pp. 395-396). New York: Pergamin.
• Lennings, C. J. (1991). A modification of the Kendall-Wilcox Self-Control Scale for Delinquents. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 35, 83-91.

Items of the Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS)

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

1. When the child promises to do something, can you count on him or her to do it?
2. Does the child butt into games or activities even when he or she hasn’t been invited?
3. Can the child deliberately calm down when he or she is excited or all would up?
4. Is the quality of the child’s work all about the same or does it vary a lot?
5. Does the child work for long-range goals?
6. When the child asks a question, does he or she wait for an answer, or jump to something else (e.g., new question) before waiting for an answer?
7. Does the child interrupt inappropriately in conversations with peers, or wait his or her turn to speak?
8. Does the child stick to what he or she is doing until he or she is finished with it?
9. Does the child follow the instructions of responsible adults?
10. Does the child have to have everything right away?
11. When the child has to wait in line, does he or she do so patiently?
12. Does the child sit still?
13. Can the child follow suggestions of others in group projects, or does he or she insist on imposing his or her own ideas?
14. Does the child have to be reminded several times to do something before he or she does it?
15. When reprimanded, does the child answer back inappropriately?
16. Is the child accident-prone?
17. Does the child neglect or forget regular chores or tasks?
18. Are there days when the child seems incapable of settling down to work?
19. Would the child more likely grab a smaller toy today or wait for a larger toy tomorrow, if given the choice?
20. Does the child grab for the belongings of others?
21. Does the child bother others when they’re trying to do things?
22. Does the child break basic rules?
23. Does the child watch where he or she is going?
24. In answering questions, does the child give one thoughtful answer, or blurt out several answers all at once?
25. Is the child easily distracted from his or her work or chores?
26. Would you describe this child more as careful or careless?
27. Does the child play well with peers (follows rules, waits turn, cooperates)?
28. Does the child jump or switch from activity to activity rather than sticking to one thing at a time?
29. If a task is at first too difficult for the child, will he or she get frustrated and quit, or first seek help with the problem?
30. Does the child disrupt games?
31. Does the child think before he or she acts?
32. If the child paid more attention to his or her work, do you think he or she would do much better than at present?
33. Does the child do too many things at once, or does he or she concentrate on one thing at a time?