Reliability of Perceived Competence Measures for Young School-Aged Children

Abstract
Client perceptions of competence provide the occupational therapist with information relevant to intervention goals and performance outcomes. The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (PCSA) (Harter & Pike, 1983) and the All About Me (AAM) (Missiuna, 1992) measure perceptions of competence in young school-aged children. Test-retest reliability of scores on the PCSA and AAM was examined using a sample of 24 Grade 1 and 2 children with motor and/or language delays. For intervals of 10 to 22 days, the PCSA and AAM had moderate to good reliability. Competence perceptions were more reliable than acceptance perceptions on the PCSA. The AAM, a measure of perceived physical competence, was correlated more highly to the PCSA physical subscale and competence factor score than to other PCSA subscales. In general, young children view themselves as being highly competent.