Cross Informant Comparisons of the Home and Community Social Behavior Scales and the School Social Behavior Scales

Abstract

The importance of obtaining information regarding social behavior in differing social environments was examined through the use of the School Social Behavior Scales and the Home and Community Social Behavior Scales. These instruments were designed to provide information regarding student's social behavior in the school and home settings, respectively. Social behavior of 122 students in grades 6-8 who participated in a prevention program for behaviorally at-risk youth was rated by a parent, general education teacher and at-risk program teacher. Parents and special program teachers of the at-risk students were more likely to provide positive ratings of the student's behaviors than their general education teachers. Parents and general education teachers also rated students higher in negative or antisocial behaviors than the at-risk program teachers. Internal consistency coefficients for the Social Competence and Antisocial Behavior scales of the two measures were .95 or higher across all three raters. Correlations between raters were generally low. It is proposed that the low correlations between raters are the result of situational differences.