The cottage life questionnaire: A new measure of social climate in children's residential centers

Abstract

A relatively neglected aspect of the residential treatment of children is the social climate (atmosphere) of an organization. Social climate refers to the individual and collective attributes of the people within the institution that directly affect individual behavior within that setting. Recent studies on the measurement of social climate have brought a new focus on the setting wherein treatment occurs. These studies assume that the immediate psychosocial environment in which the patients function is an important aspect of the treatment process. This new emphasis has offered a model for the study of the environmental forces influencing group behavior. Perhaps the most renowned measure of the social climate prevailing in mental health institutions is the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) developed by Moos and Houts (1968). This scale assesses a ward's social environment as perceived by patients and staff. The reliability of WAS has been found by Moos and Houts (1970) to be stable over a period of several months and to be related to both objective ward characteristics (for example, size, staffing) and subjective characteristics (for example, general satisfaction, initiative taken by patients). Pierce, Trickett, and Moos (1972) conclude that social climate measures such as the WAS can be important supplements to staff's knowledge of wards or units, and, as such, a meaningful contribution to the identification and evaluation of needed changes. Unfortunately, all of the available social climate measures are designed for use with adults or adolescents. To the author's knowl