Assessment of Heterosocial Skills in Male College Students

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Abstract
Deficiencies in heterosocial skills constitute significant psychological concerns for many young adults; yet, no adequate assessment procedure has been available for the behavioral measurement of heterosocial difficulties. In the present investigation, an empirical research strategy was employed to develop such an instrument. Construction and evaluation of the instrument was carried out following the five-stage test development strategy suggested by Goldfried and D'Zurilla's (1969) behavioral-analytic assessment model. Samples of potential responses to hetero-social situations were obtained, and five male and five female students were carefully selected to judge the effectiveness of potential responses. Psychometric evaluation of the final set of 22 test items revealed good interrater reliability (r =.85) and excellent criterion-related validity, as evidenced by the instrument's ability to discriminate between groups of heterosocially adequate and inadequate males (p<.OOOI). It was concluded that the scale is a reliable, valid, and useful tool for assessing heterosocial effectiveness.