Date of Award

Fall 12-1-1977

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Arthur Horne

Second Advisor

David Gilman

Third Advisor

Reece Chaney

Abstract

This study involved the design and investigation of a measure of adaptive behavior (Street Survival Skills Questionnaire) for the mentally retarded. Following a careful review of existing measures of adaptive behavior, a comprehensive review of research relating to prediction of independent living, and interviews with rehabilitation staff, a group of nine areas were targeted for inclusion in the instrument. These areas included Basic Concepts, Functional Signs, Measurement, Monetary, Time, Public Services, Safety and Personal Health, Domestic Management, and Implements and Tools. Items were then generated for each area in a multiple-choice, pictorial format that required a minimum of reading and permitted the examinee to make a non-verbal response. All items were next reviewed, administered to a group of 50 participants of sheltered workshops in two states, and then subjected to item analyses. Reliability estimates and standard errors of measurement for all areas were computed. Items found inappropriate by this first series of item analyses were discarded. A second sample of 50 participants of sheltered workshops was then administered the revised instrument, and item analyses were again performed to remove inappropriate items. Reliability estimates, standard errors of measurement, and concurrent validity studies with the Progress Assessment Chart (PAC), the San Francisco Vocational Competency Scale (SFVCS) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) were completed. A VARIMAX-rotated factor analysis was also completed for all nine SLales as a measure of construct validity. The results of the various analyses of the revised instrument showed high reliability coefficients, relatively tight standard errors of measurement, and strong concurrent validity coefficients with the PAC and SFVCS. Moderate correlations with the PPVT suggested some measurement overlap between the two instruments but indicated that the Street Survival Skills Questionnaire measures skills different from those tapped by the PPVT IQ score. The factor analysis revealed only a single factor accounting for the greatest portion of the variance shared by the nine subtests. The nature of this factor remained unclear but may have been related to a community self-sufficiency factor found in other studies of adaptive behavior constructs. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that a highly objective, valid, and reliable measure of adaptive behavior was achieved by the Street Survival Skil1s Questionnaire. Future research and development possibilities were also discussed as essential elements prior to any use of the instrument in decision-making capacity.

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