The Development of the Multidimensional Social Competence Scale: A Standardized Measure of Social Competence in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Autism and its related disorders are commonly described as lying along a continuum that ranges in severity and are collectively referred to as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Although all individuals with ASD meet the social impairment diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-IV-TR, they do not present with the same social difficulties. The variability in the expression and severity of social competence is particularly evident among the group of individuals with "high-functioning" ASD who appear to have difficulty applying their average to above average intelligence in a social context. There is a striking paucity of empirical research investigating individual differences in social functioning among individuals with high-functioning ASD. It is possible that more detailed investigations of social competence have been impeded by the lack of standardized measures available to assess the nature and severity of social impairment. The aim of the current study was to develop and evaluate a parent rating scale capable of assessing individual differences in social competence (i.e. strengths and challenges) among adolescents with ASD: the Multidimensional Social Competence Scale (MSCS). Results from confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesized multidimensional factor structure of the MSCS. Seven relatively distinct domains of social competence were identified including social motivation, social inferencing, demonstrating empathic concern, social knowledge, verbal conversation skills, nonverbal sending skills, and emotion regulation. Psychometric evidence provided preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the scale. Possible applications of this promising new parent rating scale in both research and clinical settings are discussed.

Link Between Facial Identity and Expression Abilities Suggestive of Origins of Face Impairments in Autism: Support for the Social-Motivation Hypothesis

“…Three independent thresholds were obtained for discriminating happy-sad, happy-angry, and sad-angry pairs. Our social-motivation measure was based on the Multidimensional Social Competence Scale, a 77-item self-assessment tool that provides a social-motivation score (Yager & Iarocci, 2013) alongside scores for six other subdomains. Verbal and nonverbal intelligence was assessed for all participants using the second edition of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II; Wechsler & Chou, 2011).…”

Statistical Learning and Social Competency: The Mediating Role of Language

“…Assessment of social competency. The Multidimensional Social Competence Scale MSCS 74 ; is a seventy-seven-item measure in which participants indicated on a five-point Likert scale (not true/almost never true; rarely true; sometimes true; often true; very true/almost often true) a response to statements on social motivation, inferencing, knowledge, empathy, verbal and non-verbal skills and emotion regulation. In addition to receiving a total social competency score, participants received a score on seven subscales assessing social Measures of autistic traits and symptom severity.…”

A psychometric evaluation of the Multidimensional Social Competence Scale (MSCS) for young adults

“…Yager and Iarocci developed and validated the “Multidimensional Social Competence Scale” (MSCS) as a parent-rating scale with youth aged 11–18 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability and typically developing (TD) youth of comparable age [ 19 ]. This is because the social difficulties associated with ASD may in fact intersect with the variability seen in social competence within the general population [ 4 ].…”

“…According to the prism model, social competence can be measured at two overarching levels [ 19 , 34 ]. The index level measures real-life indices of social competence, such as relationship quality, peer acceptance, and employment success.…”

“…eye contact). The MSCS was designed to parse the heterogeneity in social competence by identifying motivation/skills level behaviours and abilities that underlie successful social interactions at [ 19 , 34 ]. Such indices have, for the most part, been overlooked in existing measures [ 35 ].…”