Validity and Reliability of the Social Skill Scale (SSS) as an Index of Social Competence for Preschool Children

Thepurpose of this study was to validate the Social Skill Scale (SSS) as an evidence-based practical index of social competence. In total, 30,993 preschool children participated in the study. Childcare professionals evaluated participants with the SSS. Results indicated a highly rigid structure of 3 factors corresponding to social competence. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.91 to 0.93 across the sampled age groups. These factors also positively correlated with theChild DevelopmentScale. The SSS is able to measure social competence with high validity and reliability. Thus, the SSS is a helpful tool for understanding the development of social competence.