Psychometric Properties of Virtual Environment for Social Information Processing, a Social Information Processing Simulation Assessment for Children

Virtual Environment for Social Information Processing (VESIP™) is a web-based social information processing assessment developed for youth in grades 3-7. VESIP was developed to address: (1) the broader assessment of social information processing in a variety of socially challenging situations; and (2) the need for technically strong and scalable assessments that can be administered universally in schools as a growing number of states adopt social and emotional learning standards. Consistent with the Crick and Dodge theoretical model of social information processing, VESIP assesses six different dimensions: solution preference, problem identification, emotion response, intent attribution, goal preference, and social self-efficacy. This study summarizes technical properties of VESIP based on the evaluation of two general education samples: a multi-state group of students whose data were part of a large-scale norming study (N = 2,156), and a subset of local students from that group who participated in a validation study (n = 334). Confirmatory factor analyses supported a model that has three distinct facets: (1) one that includes five social information processing factors; (2) one that includes five situational factors; and (3) one overall social information processing factor. This model closely parallels the Crick and Dodge model and suggests that social information processing is somewhat situation specific. Internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities for social information processing factors were good. VESIP scores were consistently associated with an alternate measure of social information processing and other criterion measures. Implications for theory and practice are considered. [This is the online version of an article published in "Social Development."]