Validity and Reliability of the Interaction Rating Scale Advanced (IRSA) as an Index of Social Competence Development

The purpose of the current study was to clarify the validity and reliability of the Interaction Rating Scale Advanced (IRSA) as a context-based practical index of social competence development. Participants were 50 adults who completed a five-minute interaction session, during which they were observed and assessed using the IRSA. Furthermore, health social professionals evaluated participants’ social competence using practical assessment. Results indicated a moderately high correlation (r = 0.58) between IRSA scores and professionals’ practical evaluation. The Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.89. Thus, the IRSA appears to measure social competence with high validity and reliability. Since the IRSA provides context-based evidence of social competence development, this measure should be useful for evaluating the various features of social interaction in a practical setting.