Psychometric properties of the Social Training Achievement Record (the STAR profile)

Seven hundred and sixty-eight Social Training Achievement Records were collected independently in two settings during routine assessment of mentally handicapped people, mostly adults in hospital. All scales and total scores were highly internally consistent. Factor analysis on one sample yielded two factors named General Adaptive Behaviour and Community and Equipment Skills. This factor structure was replicated on the second sample. This factor solution is highly similar to that reported for the Adaptive Behavior Scale (Nihira, 1976). Two new scales were derived on the basis of these factor analyses which were also highly internally consistent. Parallel forms of these scales were also satisfactorily developed. Total scores and scores on the two new scales were adequate in routine clinical practice and showed good concurrent and criterion group validities. Reliabilities of individual items were less satisfactory. Suggestions for future developments of this scale are made.