Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (SPCC)

Abstract

The Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (SPCC) is a widely utilized psychometric instrument designed to measure an individual’s subjective assessment of their communication abilities. Developed by McCroskey and McCroskey (1988), this scale employs a self-report methodology to gauge perceived competence across a variety of communication contexts and with different relational partners. The SPCC is foundational in communication studies for understanding how individuals perceive their effectiveness in public speaking, group discussions, meetings, and dyadic interactions with strangers, acquaintances, and friends.

Keywords

Self-Perceived Communication Competence, SPCC, self-report, communication competence, psychometric scale, McCroskey, communication apprehension, social interaction.

Authors

James C. McCroskey, L. L. McCroskey

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SPCC is to provide researchers and practitioners with a reliable and efficient method for quantifying an individual’s belief in their ability to communicate successfully. Unlike objective measures of skill, the SPCC focuses entirely on the respondent’s perception of their own competence across 12 specific communication situations. This self-assessment is crucial because perceived competence often mediates communication behaviors, such as willingness to communicate and communication apprehension.

The scale allows for the computation of both a comprehensive total score and various sub-scores, enabling detailed analysis of perceived competence based on context (e.g., public speaking versus small group) and relationship type (e.g., stranger versus friend). This detailed breakdown helps identify specific areas where an individual feels particularly competent or incompetent.

Construct

The SPCC measures the psychological construct of Self-Perceived Communication Competence. This construct is defined as the degree to which an individual believes they possess the requisite skills and knowledge to perform effectively in a given communication environment. It is rooted in social cognitive theory, emphasizing that self-efficacy and perception strongly influence performance outcomes.

While objective communication competence may involve measurable skills (like grammar or delivery), self-perceived competence reflects the internal judgment of one’s capability. This internal judgment is closely linked to variables such as communication apprehension, where low self-perception often correlates with increased anxiety and avoidance behaviors.

Validity

Though the source content does not explicitly detail validity coefficients, the SPCC has demonstrated strong face validity, as the items clearly relate to common communication scenarios. Historically, the scale has shown established construct validity through its predictable correlations with related psychological constructs. Specifically, scores on the SPCC typically correlate negatively with measures of communication apprehension (indicating that higher perceived competence leads to lower anxiety) and positively with measures of self-esteem and willingness to communicate.

The differentiated sub-scores further enhance the scale’s validity by confirming that individuals perceive their competence differently based on situational demands and relational dynamics, supporting the multi-dimensional nature of the communication competence construct.

Reliability

The reliability of the SPCC is typically assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, indicating high internal consistency for the overall measure and acceptable consistency for most sub-dimensions. The reliability coefficients reported in the source content are:

• Total Score: (alpha .92) – Indicating excellent reliability for the overall measure.
• Stranger: (alpha .87)
• Acquaintance: (alpha .84)
• Friend: (alpha .78)
• Public: (alpha .72)
• Meeting: (alpha .68)
• Group: (alpha .67)
• Dyad: (alpha .44) – This sub-score demonstrates notably low internal consistency, suggesting caution should be used when interpreting the Dyad score in isolation.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the SPCC is inherently multi-factorial, designed to assess perceived competence across two primary dimensions: Context and Receiver Type. The scoring procedures confirm that the 12 items load onto seven distinct theoretical factors, which can be grouped into higher-order factors.

The four Contextual factors are: Public (presenting a talk), Meeting (large, formal gatherings), Group (small group discussions), and Dyad (one-on-one communication). The three Receiver factors categorize the audience based on familiarity: Stranger, Acquaintance, and Friend. This factor structure allows for nuanced analysis of communication self-efficacy, recognizing that competence is not a monolithic trait but varies significantly depending on the situation and relationship.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Psychometric Scale

Format: 12 items rated on a continuous scale (typically 0 to 100), where 0 represents “completely incompetent” and 100 represents “competent.”

Language Available: Primarily English, though adaptations exist in other languages.

Population Group: General population, widely used with college students and adults.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Originally validated on samples of undergraduate students, reflecting general communication behaviors in academic and social settings.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to estimate their perceived level of competence (as a percentage) for each of the 12 scenarios presented. Scores are averaged to produce context-specific and relational sub-scores, which are then used to calculate the overall SPCC total score.

Keywords

Perceived competence, self-efficacy, public speaking, group communication, relational communication, dyadic communication, self-esteem, psychometrics.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Information regarding the instrument and authors is historically associated with James C. McCroskey’s academic affiliation, often West Virginia University.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The SPCC is generally considered a publicly available academic instrument, often used free of charge for non-commercial research purposes, provided proper citation is given. The instrument can be found online at the author’s academic resources page.

Test Year: 1988

Source Availability: The instrument can be accessed via the following web resource: http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/communication_competence.htm

Reference’s

McCroskey, J. C., & McCroskey, L. L. (1988). Self-report as an approach to measuring communication competence. Communication Research Reports, 5, 108-113.

Items of the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (SPCC)

Scoring Instruction: Presume 0 = completely incompetent and 100 = competent. To compute the sub scores, add the percentages for the items indicated and divide the total by the number indicated below.

1. Present a talk to a group of strangers.
2. Talk with an acquaintance.
3. Talk in a large meeting of friends.
4. Talk in a small group of strangers.
5. Talk with a friend.
6. Talk in a large meeting of acquaintances.
7. Talk with a stranger.
8. Present a talk to a group of friends.
9. Talk in a small group of acquaintances.
10. Talk in a large meeting of strangers.
11. Talk in a small group of friends.
12. Present a talk to a group of acquaintances.

Sub-Score Calculation:

• Public: 1 + 8 + 12; divide by 3.
• Meeting: 3 + 6 + 10; divide by 3.
• Group: 4 + 9 + 11; divide by 3.
• Dyad: 2 + 5 + 7; divide by 3.
• Stranger: 1 + 4 + 7 + 10; divide by 4.
• Acquaintance: 2 + 6 + 9 + 12; divide by 4.
• Friend: 3 + 5 + 8 + 11; divide by 4.

To compute the total SPCC score, add the subscores for Stranger, Acquaintance, and Friend. Then, divide that total by 3.