Issues in Social Interaction/Withdrawal Assessment

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review severel practical and methodological issues related to the development of assessment instruments for child social interaction and social withdrawal. Specifically, the roles of (a) sociometric peer ratings, (b) behavioral observation measures, and (c) teacher ratings are discussed in relationship to their validity, reliability, and normative data characteristics. These measures are further discussed from the perspective of their usage in screening/identification and treatment evaluation. The role of normative data in facilitating screening/identification and treatment evaluation processes is also reviewed. Finally, the development of a social interaction assessment instrument for identifying socially withdrawn children is described.