Prosocial Parental Involvement – Seattle Social Development Project
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About Prosocial Parental Involvement – Seattle Social Development Project
Scale Name
Prosocial Parental Involvement – Seattle Social Development Project
Author Details
Michael W. Arthur, J. David Hawkins, John A. Pollard, Richard F. Catalano, and A. J. Baglioni Jr. (2002)
Translation Availability
English

Background/Description
The Prosocial Parental Involvement – Seattle Social Development Project, developed by Michael W. Arthur, J. David Hawkins, John A. Pollard, Richard F. Catalano, and A. J. Baglioni Jr. in 2002, is a youth-report questionnaire designed to measure students’ perceptions of the opportunities and rewards offered by and experienced with their parents for prosocial behaviors. Targeting students aged 11-18 (grades 6-12) in urban settings, the scale was part of the Seattle Social Development Project, a longitudinal study focused on identifying risk and protective factors for youth problem behaviors. Cited in Dahlberg et al. (2005), it aligns with the social development model (Hawkins & Weis, 1985), assessing how parental provision of opportunities (e.g., involvement in activities) and rewards (e.g., praise for positive behavior) fosters prosocial development.
The scale comprises 8 items (4 per subscale) rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = “never” to 4 = “very often”). Examples include “My parents give me chances to do fun things with them” (opportunities) and “My parents notice when I’m doing a good job” (rewards). Scores are summed per subscale (range: 4-16 each), with higher scores indicating greater perceived opportunities or rewards. Validated in diverse urban samples, it is used to assess parental influence, predict prosocial behavior, and inform prevention programs.
Psychologists, educators, and public health researchers use the scale to evaluate perceived parental support for prosocial behavior, design interventions, and study protective factors. Its dual-subscale structure and good reliability are strengths, though its youth-only perspective and English-only availability may limit comprehensive assessment and cross-cultural use.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the scale from authorized sources, such as Dahlberg et al. (2005) Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths or Seattle Social Development Project publications, ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses perceptions of parental support for positive behaviors to promote healthy development, emphasizing anonymity and using age-appropriate, non-judgmental language.
- Provide instructions, asking students to rate the frequency of opportunities and rewards provided by their parents, using the 4-point scale.
- Approximate time for completion is 2-3 minutes, given the 8-item format.
- Administer in a classroom or research setting, using paper or digital formats, ensuring a private environment. Oral administration may be used for students with reading difficulties.
Reliability and Validity
The Prosocial Parental Involvement – Seattle Social Development Project demonstrates good psychometric properties, as reported in Dahlberg et al. (2005). Internal consistency is strong, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.76 for opportunities and 0.78 for rewards, indicating good item cohesion. Test-retest reliability is not reported, but stability is inferred to be moderate to high based on similar parental involvement measures (r ≈ 0.60-0.80 over weeks).
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with related constructs, such as increased prosocial behavior (r ≈ 0.20-0.40) and reduced delinquency (r ≈ -0.15 to -0.35) for higher opportunity and reward scores. Discriminant validity is evidenced by weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, like academic performance (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by its ability to predict positive behavioral outcomes in longitudinal studies. Factor analyses are not detailed, but the two-factor structure (opportunities, rewards) supports construct validity. The strong reliability supports its use, though pairing with parent-reported measures (e.g., Parental Involvement, Gorman-Smith et al., 1996) can enhance accuracy.
Available Versions
07-Items
Reference
Dahlberg, L. L., Toal, S. B., Swahn, M. H., & Behrens, C. B. (2005). Measuring violence-related attitudes, behaviors, and influences among youths: A compendium of assessment tools. Centers for disease control and prevention.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Prosocial Parental Involvement – Seattle Social Development Project measure?
It measures students’ perceptions of parental opportunities and rewards for prosocial behavior.
Who can use the scale?
Psychologists, educators, and researchers studying students aged 11-18.
How long does the scale take to complete?
It takes about 2-3 minutes.
Is the scale specific to certain groups?
It targets urban students aged 11-18.
Can the scale inform interventions?
Yes, it supports prevention programs with strong reliability (α = 0.76-0.78).
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