Application of Vineland Social Maturity Scale: History
Application of Vineland Social Maturity Scale: History
Application of Vineland Social Maturity Scale: History
SCALE
Name: X Imaan Age: 5 years and 5 months
HISTORY
Child belongs to a family with low socio-economic status. X was born as a result
of cesarean section instead of normal delivery. Mother’s age was 40 years at the
She has another elder sister who is 21 years of age currently; there is huge age
Mother of child died when she was 4 ½ years old as a result of heart attack.
relations with her sister and father. Earlier father had good relations with mother
joint family system, she enjoys company of her cousins also. She is a very active
child and takes part in sports and other indoor and outdoor activities
class and has good IQ. According to his sister she is very intelligent and grasp
new concepts easily and asks questions which indicates her healthy growth of
mind.
METHADOLOGY
Vineland social maturity scale is used to access child. As this scale is best
Scale Description:
It was developed by the US psychologist Edgar (Arnold) Doll (1889–1968), originally
published in 1936, and discussed in Doll's booklet Your Child Grows Up in 1950. The
Vineland Social Maturity Scales (VSMS), measures social maturity or social competence in
individuals from birth to adulthood. It consist of 117 items which can be interviewed with
primary care giver or parent.
Doll himself stated in favor of scale:
In formulating the modus operandi of social competence thus conceived, we have employed
six major expressions of social independence and responsibility. Namely, self help,
locomotion communication, occupation, self direction, and socialization. Each of these major
categories of social behavior has for our purposes, been reduced to succession of specific
performances has its own maturation period, or growth curve, which reflects individual
differences in rate of development. The central tendency of each growth curve can be
calculated and its dispersion determined in statistical terms. The sum of the item
performances can be expressed as total score which reflects the degrees of maturation in
social competence. The scores can be expressed as central tendencies for successive life age
groups and thereby expressed as "social ages."(Doll, May,1937).
SUBSCALES
The test consists of 8 sub-scales measuring:
Communication skills
Occupation skills
Self-direction
Self-help eating
Self-help dressing
Socialization skills
SCORING:
Many doubts regarding item interpretation may be resolved by considering items with the
reference to their relative positions in scale. Items should be scored strictly upon
performances of tasks. For scoring, child is asked to perform specific task..
Each item of the schedule is to be scored on a three point scale.
A score of '+1' is to be given to the choice 'always' in the case of positive behavior.
The choice 'sometimes' and other wordings indicating the middle path is to be given a score
of '0.5'.
The last choice which denotes the least expression of positive behavior is to be given a score
of '0'.
FRECUENCY TABLE
Key to categorical arrangement of item:
SHG--- Self-help general C---Communication L---Locomotion
SHD--- Self-help dressing SD--- Self-direction O--- Occupation
SGE--- Self-help eating S--- Socialization
Categorie SHG SHD SHE C SD S O L TOTAL
s
Age
Period
INTERPRETATIONS
Scoring indicates that child is healthy both in growth and development. Administration of
scale provides evidence that child is capable of taking care of himself responsibly. He
maintains a healthy life style and performs not only according to his age but also a little
above
Self Help General: Child scored 1 out two in self help general category. This shows he is
capable of performing general activities like head holding, telling time to quarter etc.
Self help eating: This caters with child ability to handle his eating patterns and take care of
his nutritional needs. Child gets more independent in terms of feeding.
Child scored three out of three in this category which shows that he is fully able to take care
of his needs related to feeding and can take care of himself
Self Help Dressing: This category indicates child ability to cleanse himself as well as
dressing himself. Child scored four out of 6 in this category which indicates that child is
average in independence of in terms of dressing. Child can dress and undress him but cannot
tie. She can button himself shows her less dependence for assistance
Occupation: Child scored 3.5 out of five which indicates his average skills in carrying out
his general house hold activities. Child takes part in playful activities efficiently but lacks a
bit in carrying out household work
Locomotion: Locomotion involves social movements including going in neighborhood and
other social places. Child scored three out three which shows that child is independent in
locomotion and can be trusted with her locomotion.
Communication: Communication deals with social use and application of language and
other communicative skills including writing and spoken. Child scored three out six which
indicates that although child can use communicative tools in daily life yet he does not have
much command on it. She can copy alphabets and can read but unable to do creative writing
include letter writing etc.
Self Direction: Child scored 1.5 out of two which shows that child takes responsibility and
feels to get free from authority. She cannot be trusted with money but can make minor
purchases.
Socialization: Child scored 3.5 out of four. This indicates that child has developed good
socialization skills. And is continuously developing this skill through paying games with her
peer group.
Bibliography
Doll. (May,1937). The inheritance of Social Competence. The Journal of Heredity.
https://archive.org/stream/measurementofsoc1953doll#page/74/mode/2up