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Validity of the Sheltered Care Environment Scale: conceptual and methodological issues
1Dept of Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr, Social Ecology Lab, Palo Alto, CA.
Psychology and Aging
|December 1, 1990
Summary
The Sheltered Care Environment Scale (SCES) measures the social climate of residential facilities. Preliminary evidence suggests its subscales are reliable and valid for assessing group settings.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- The Sheltered Care Environment Scale (SCES) was designed to assess the social climate of group residential facilities.
- Its primary aim is to differentiate between settings, not individuals within them.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity of the SCES for measuring individual differences in perceptions of a shared environment.
- To examine the redefinition of SCES subscales (Independence and Physical Comfort) by Smith and Whitbourne (1990).
Main Methods:
- Assessment of the SCES's validity as a measure of individual perceptions.
- Analysis of redefined subscale content coverage.
Main Results:
- Smith and Whitbourne (1990) assessed the SCES for measuring individual differences.
- They redefined two subscales, altering their intended scope.
- Preliminary findings indicate SCES subscales offer reliable and valid measures of social climate in residential facilities.
Conclusions:
- The SCES subscales demonstrate reasonable reliability and validity for assessing the social climate of group residential facilities.
- Further research may be needed to fully understand the implications of redefined subscale content.