The Heimler Scale of Social Functioning: A Partial Validation in South Africa

Abstract

This paper offers new information on the reliability and validity of the Heimler Scale of Social Functioning (HSSF), based on a sample of 8,561 soldiers in the South African National Defence Force. The HSSF is a 55‐item questionnaire, developed in the United Kingdom, designed to measure social functioning as a whole, as well as a number of specific areas of social functioning. The HSSF shows inadequate levels of reliability (Cronbach Alpha and Standard Error of Measurement) at Subscale and Index levels, but good reliability at the whole‐scale level. The HSSF also does not demonstrate adequate item‐level construct (factorial) validity and criterion‐related (known groups) validity, although adequate construct validity at scale‐level was found. Reasons for the poor reliability and validity of the scale are explored and suggestions made for enhancing the scale's performance.