Factor Structures of Social Competence in Children with Intellectual Disabilities: Inspection of Factorial Invariance Using Multi-Group Analyses

Abstract

The factor structure of the Social Maturity Scale (S-M) and its factorial invariance were investigated in groups with intellectual disabilities. Participants were 1,002 children (292 girls and 710 boys) with or without mental retardation (MR), as described in records of child guidance centers. Participants were categorized into four groups on the basis of their developmental quotient, as assessed by the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development: (1) No MR, (2) Mild MR, (3) Moderate MR, and (4) Severe MR. Results indicated that the one factor model had a low goodness of fit for children with MR, whereas the alternative, two factor model, fitted these children best. These findings suggested that the S-M scale needs a different model to appropriately measure the social competence of children with MR.