A Tool for Identifying Preschoolers' Deficits in Social Competence: The Preschool Taxonomy of Problem Situations.

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, the article describes the development of the Preschool Taxonomy of Problem Situations (PTOPS), a preschool age-appropriate version of the Taxonomy of Problematic Social Situations. The PTOPS is a measure of preschoolers' social competence across specific social contexts. Second, the psychometric properties of the PTOPS are examined using a clinical sample of maltreated children, a population that is frequently characterized by social incompetence. The findings reveal that the PTOPS subscales demonstrate high internal reliability. The PTOPS subscales are also highly convergent with subscales of a widely used measure of preschoolers' problem behavior, the Preschool Behavior Questionnaire. However, the PTOPS subscales are not correlated with another frequently used measure of preschoolers' behavior, the Child Behavior Checklist/2-3. Possible explanations for this discrepancy are discussed, as well as potential practical applications of the PTOPS, and suggestions for future research with the measure. ********** Child maltreatment has been repeatedly linked to the outcome of young children's difficulties with social interactions. In particular, maltreated children are at high risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior (Downey & Walker, 1992; Hoffman-Plotkin & Twentyman, 1984) and withdrawal (Kendall-Tacket, Williams, & Finkelhor, 1993). They are also less likely than nonmaltreated children to respond to friendly overtures by adults (George & Maine, 1979). Because young maltreated children often demonstrate difficulties with social interactions, it is particularly important for practitioners who plan treatment programs for them to assess these children's social competence. Doing so may assist practitioners with both prevention and intervention efforts targeted toward improving children's social competence (Dodge, McClaskey, & Feldman, 1985). The primary goal of this study was to develop a context-specific measure for practitioners working with preschoolers who have difficulties in social situations. This was accomplished by expanding on the Taxonomy of Problematic Social Situations (TOPS; Dodge et al., 1985). The TOPS, a paper and pencil survey that is completed by elementary school teachers, is an exception to most social competence measures in that it acknowledges the significance of the social context on children's behavior. The TOPS consists of items that enable practitioners to identify the situational contexts that lead to social difficulties for target children. Findings from Dodge et al.'s (1985) research on 73 elementary school age children revealed that socially rejected children were rated by their teachers as responding less competently than the nonrejected children overall to the TOPS items. However, the socially rejected children were not reported as being incompetent in all situations depicted in the TOPS. Rather, they were conside red incompetent in particular situations, only those situations where they had been provoked by a peer. Dodge's findings demonstrate the clinical utility of the TOPS for use with socially incompetent children. For example, a clinician may target a child's behavior, such as aggression, that requires intervention. Since that behavior likely varies across different social situations in which the child is engaged, the TOPS may be used to identify the situational contexts that are particularly problematic for the child (Dodge et al., 1985). Treatment planning for maltreated children can be even further facilitated if the measure of social competence being used identifies the specific situational contexts that are partic ularly problematic for those children. While numerous studies have focused on children's social competence (Coie, Dodge, Terry, & Wright, 1991; Foster, Inderbitzen, & Nangle, 1993), they typically do not address the contextual influence on children's social behavior. …