Social-emotional competence among school-aged children in the Chinese context: validation of the Washoe County School District-Social emotional competency assessment

Cheung, R. Y. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0998-7991 and Ng, O. O. S. (2024) Social-emotional competence among school-aged children in the Chinese context: validation of the Washoe County School District-Social emotional competency assessment. Behavioral Sciences, 14 (5). 399. ISSN 2076-328X doi: 10.3390/bs14050399

Abstract/Summary

The present study aims to validate the 40-item and the brief 17-item Washoe County School District Social–Emotional Competency Assessment (WCSD-SECA), a self-report measure of social–emotional competencies, among Chinese school-aged children residing in Hong Kong. A total of 349 children (M = 9.86 years, SD = 1.22; 45.82% girls) and their parents (77.84% mothers) completed a set of questionnaires independently. The factor structure of both versions of the WCSD-SECA was assessed via confirmatory factor analyses. Structural equation models were then conducted to examine the predictive validity of the WCSD-SECA. The findings indicated that both the 40-item and the 17-item versions of the WCSD-SECA fit the data adequately. Both versions were also associated with self-reported positive and negative affect and parent-reported internalizing problems and externalizing problems. Additionally, social–emotional competencies as measured by the 40-item version were significantly associated with parent-reported prosocial behavior, whereas those as measured by the 17-item version were associated with prosocial behavior with a marginal significance. The findings demonstrated an adequate factor structure and predictive validity of the full version and the brief version of the WCSD-SECA in assessing social–emotional competencies. Hence, they serve as a useful tool for researchers, educators, and mental health practitioners to evaluate school-aged children’s social–emotional competencies in the Chinese context.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/116354
Identification Number/DOI	10.3390/bs14050399
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology
Publisher	MDPI
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