ASSESSING A MEASURE OF SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING SKILLS WITH YOUTH WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS

Author

Erin M. Karpus, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

12-1-2010

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Cashel, Mary Louise

Abstract

The predictive validity, convergence and divergence with well-established measures, and the potential biases of the Social Cognitive Assessment Profile (SCAP; Huges, Meehan, & Cavel, 2004) were assessed with youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Thirty youth in the third through twelfth grade from two alternative Special Education schools were recruited for this study. Youth were individually administered the SCAP, the Index of Peer Relations (IPR; Hudson, 1997), and the Young Children's Social Desirability Scale (YCSD; Ford & Rubin, 1970). Each student's current teacher was asked to complete a Teacher Rating Scale. The scores on the SCAP were not significant predictors of teacher ratings of aggressive behavior. The scores on the SCAP and the IPR were significant predictors of school problems. The results of the current study address the clinical utility of the SCAP as a measure of social information processing skills. Several limitations including, a lengthy administration time, several scales remaining significantly skewed after correction, the lack of a severity of aggression scale, pictures depicting only one ethnicity, and the lack of scoring of instrumental solutions and responses, may decrease the clinical utility of the SCAP as a measure of social information processing. Future research should focus on assessing the clinical utility of the SCAP with specialized populations, further examining gender and ethnic differences, and addressing potential modifications of the SCAP.