Self-report measures for use with children: a review and comment

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Psychological Assessment
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Traditional child psychological assessments rely heavily on parent and teacher reports.
• Limitations exist in relying solely on external informants for understanding a child's internal experiences.
• Self-report measures offer a unique perspective on children's psychological lives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the necessity of child self-report instruments in psychological assessment.
• To review existing self-report tools for evaluating children's self-concept, anxiety, depression, and personality.
• To introduce the Children's Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ) as a diagnostic aid.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing self-report instruments for child psychological assessment.
• Description of the design and features of the Children's Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ).
• Evaluation of the SRQ's administration, norms, reliability, and validity.

Main Results:

• The Children's Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ) is a valuable tool for assessing psychological deviance in children.
• The SRQ demonstrates ease of administration and possesses broad norms.
• The instrument shows acceptable reliability and validity for clinical and research use.

Conclusions:

• Self-report measures are essential complements to parent and teacher reports in child psychology.
• The SRQ provides a reliable and valid method for aiding in the diagnosis and detection of psychological issues in children.
• The SRQ offers valuable insights into a child's internal world, supporting both clinical and research endeavors.