Presentation - ECV2022-254-WITHDRAWN
Reliability and validity of the Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (18–36) with Chinese toddlers
Dingwen Huang, Shanghai Normal University, China (1000497850@smail.shnu.edu.cn)
Tingting Yang, Hong Kou West Street Kindergarten, China (824554329@qq.com)
Xiaoyan Bian, Shanghai Maternal and Child Health Centre, China (xybian2000@163.com)
Mengyu Xie, Shanghai Normal University, China (1000496246@smail.shnu.edu.cn)
Jingjing Zhu, Shanghai Normal University, China (zhujingjing@shnu.edu.cn)
Yan Li, Shanghai Normal University, China (liyan@shnu.edu.cn)
Background: Social-emotional competence is crucial for toddlers’ long-term adjustment and well-being; therefore, early diagnosis of and intervention for social-emotional problems are of great importance for children’s development. However, there is currently no effective evaluation tool to measure the social-emotional development of young children.
Aim: This study examines the reliability and validity of the Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (SEAM 18-36) with Chinese toddlers.
Method: This study sampled 734 toddlers between 18 to 36 months ( = 29.11months, SD = 4.41, 51.8% boys). The toddlers were recruited from 11 Early Childhood Education Guidance Service Centres and six public kindergartens in Shanghai. Their mothers (N=734) completed the Chinese version of SEAM (18–36) and Chinese Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (CITSEA) online. Trained kindergarten teachers provided guidance to parents, and the mothers were asked to observe their child for several days. A forced choice on all questionnaire items was implemented to ensure more accurate data. Three weeks after, 110 mothers were randomly selected to complete the questionnaire again. Data analysis was conducted with the use of SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 21.0.
Results: The results showed a steady ten-factor model with a good fit for the SEAM (18–36) items. The CFA with 35 items revealed that the ten-factor model fit well, X² = 1242.857, df = 505, X²/df = 2.461, p < 0.001, Normed Fit Index = .86, CFI = .90, IFI = .91, TLI = .89, RMSEA = .05. The scale and its subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency, reliability, and convergent validity.
Conclusions: The Chinese version of SEAM (18–36) has good reliability and validity in its application to measure the SEC of Chinese toddlers.
Implications for families: You can use the Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (18–36) to measure children’s social and emotional competence even without an educational background in mental health. The tool is easy to use and allows families to work together to promote healthy interactions, improved communication, and better self-regulation.
Implications for practitioners: The SEAM (18–36) includes ten benchmarks: Healthy Interaction, Expression of Emotions, Regulation of Social-emotional Responses, Empathy, Sharing and Engaging, Independence, Self-image, Attention and Activity level, Cooperation and Adaptive skills. All items describe the frequency of children’s social-emotional competence and related behaviours (e.g., the frequency of children expressing feelings and responding to others’ emotional expressions). It is an easy tool to use and get inspiration from.
Key words: quantitative methods, social-emotional competence, Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure, reliability, validity, toddlers
This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
