A new measure of socio-emotional skills: a pilot study with children, adolescents, and their families

Louise Marques Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3844-6932

Luisa Cito Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0504-0346

Karina Ayumi Teruya University City of São Paulo https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5546-8802

Éverson Rangel Lopez Estacio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9732-7598

Renato De Marca Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0870-8815

Adriana Lima Federal University of Parana

Bruno Oliveira Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Jesus Landeira-Fernandez Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8395-8008

Luis Anunciação Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5303-5782

https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.2.2.88

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The teaching of socio-emotional skills has received greater attention, with ongoing theoretical discussions about these competences. Evaluating such characteristics and their development, however, is challenging because of a lack of consensus about theoretical and practical models, the difficulty in analyses that rely solely on self-reports, and the scarcity of robust Brazilian psychometric instruments.

Objectives: Therefore, the present study sought to (1) verify the psychometric evidence of the instrument’s internal consistency in assessing socio-emotional skills, (2) identify differences in respondents’ answers, and (3) identify potential issues with questionnaire items via semi-structured interviews.

Methods: This pilot study involved 32 responses from children and adolescents and 25 responses from their family members. The questionnaire assessed five socio-emotional skills: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decision making. Descriptive analyses and Cronbach’s alpha calculations were applied to confirm internal consistency of the items in each subscale. Analyses of variance were also conducted to analyse responses from family members and children.

Results: The results showed that self- awareness (α = 0.83, α = 0.76), self-management (α = 0.82, α = 0.79), and relationship skills (α = 0.71, α = 0.79) had adequate internal consistency in both children’s and family members’ versions. Significant differences were observed in scores between family members and children/adolescents in self-awareness (p = 0.0159), self-management (p = 0.0279).

Conclusion: The present study underscores the importance and complexity of assessing responsible decision-making skills and suggests that the questionnaire can be useful for evaluating socio-emotional competencies.

Keywords: socio-emotional skills, psychometry, psychological assessment, children

Full Text Article