Psychometric properties of the screening tool of feeding problems (STEP) in Turkish children with ASD

The purpose of this study is to determine the psychometric properties of the screening tool of feeding problems (STEP) in Turkish children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). After providing linguistic equivalence of the scale, STEP was applied to 360 mothers on behalf of their children with ASD in order to determine the associated feeding problems. The scale which has 5 sub-domains and 3 Likert-type questions originally consisted of 23 items. Item-total correlations of the scale were acceptable, with the exception of item 8 and the differences between the item averages of the upper 27% and the lower 27% groups were significant (p < 0.001). The internal consistency coefficient (α = 0.81) and the split-half reliability (Spearman's rho = 0.69**) were high. The STEP achieved criterion-related validity. The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (χ²/df = 3.2, RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR = 0.08, GFI = 0.85, AGFI = 0.81, CFI = 0.86) showed that the scale has an acceptable goodness of fit. This study suggests that the Turkish version of the STEP could be a useful assessment tool when it comes to measuring feeding problems in children with ASD.     

Characteristics of instruments screening for depression in adults with intellectual disabilities: Systematic review

The aim of this study was to obtain information on feasibility, reliability and validity of available instruments screening for depression applied in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Therefore, literature was systematically reviewed. For self-report, the Glasgow Depression scale for people with a Learning Disability appears most promising (internal consistency α = 0.90, test–retest reliability r = 0.97, sensitivity 96% and specificity 90%). For informant-report three instruments seem promising: the Assessment of Dual Diagnosis (internal consistency α = 0.77 and α = 0.91, test–retest reliability r = 0.94, interrater reliability r = 0.98), the Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behaviour (internal consistency α = 0.58–0.83, interrater reliability r = 0.61–0.84, sensitivity 80%, specificity 83%), and the Children's Depression Inventory (internal consistency α = 0.86, sensitivity 83%, specificity 93%). None of these three instruments have been studied satisfactorily in this group, yet. More research on psychometric properties, especially sensitivity and specificity in the ID population, is needed.     

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Modified Checklist for autism in toddlers (M-CHAT)

Early detection and intervention is essential for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Therefore, we examined the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Modified Checklist for autism in toddlers (M-CHAT), a 23-item, yes–no questionnaire regarding early autistic symptoms completed by parents of children at 18–24 months of age. Herein, the reliability of the M-CHAT was investigated for children 4–20 months of age. The M-CHAT score (the number of failed items) was found to be significantly correlated among 24 mother–father pairs (Pearson's r = .933), representing good inter-rater reliability. The test–retest reliability was satisfactory, with 22 mothers providing almost equal M-CHAT scores on two different occasions (r = .990). Significant correlations were observed between the M-CHAT score and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Tokyo version score in 25 two-year-old children (r = .581), indicating good concurrent validity. The M-CHAT score was significantly higher in 20 children later diagnosed with ASD compared with reference children (n = 1167), revealing sufficient discriminant validity. A short version of the M-CHAT using 9 items was proposed and effectively differentiated children with ASD from reference children. The efficacy of the Japanese version of the M-CHAT was demonstrated for first-level screening in the general population.     

The validity of the social communication questionnaire in adults with intellectual disability

This study assessed the validity of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) in a sample of 69 adults, aged 18–40 years old. Participants included 21 adults diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), and 48 individuals diagnosed with ID and no diagnosis of an ASD. The SCQ yielded a sensitivity of .71 and a specificity of .77 at the authors’ recommended cutoff score of 15 (Berument et al., 1999). However, when sensitivity was prioritized over specificity, the optimal cutoff score was 12, which yielded a sensitivity of .86 and a specificity of .60. The internal consistencies of the total scale (α = .87), the social interaction subscale (α = .83), and the restricted repetitive behavior subscale (α = .81) were good, but the communication subscale performed poorly (α = .48). The SCQ shows promise as a screening measure for adults with ID whose early developmental history may be unavailable. A lower cutoff score than the authors originally proposed is recommended in adults.     

Physical activity and self-determined motivation of adolescents with and without autism spectrum disorders in inclusive physical education

The main purpose of this study was to compare the objectively measured physical activity (PA) and the motivation process between adolescents with (n = 25) and without (n = 75) autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in inclusive physical education (PE); and assess the associations of the PA levels to a sequence of motivational processes. Independent t-tests revealed significant PA and motivational process differences between adolescents with and without ASD. External regulation was positively correlated with the percentage of time that adolescents with ASD spent in moderate PA (r₂₅ = 0.58, p < .01) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (r₂₅ = 0.50, p < .05), and this extrinsic motive was associated with their needs of being attached or related in the class (r₂₅ = 0.53, p < .01). No significant associations of PA in PE on the motivational sequences of adolescents without ASD were observed. It is concluded that adolescents with ASD had less PA levels in PE and lower motives toward PE than adolescents without ASD, and external regulation was important in facilitating PA participation in adolescents with ASD.     

The Diagnostic Behavioral Assessment for autism spectrum disorder—Revised: A screening instrument for adults with intellectual disability suspected of autism spectrum disorders

Given the strong association between intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), standardized instruments for the assessment of ASD in adults with ID are desirable. The Diagnostic Behavioral Assessment for ASD – Revised (DiBAS-R) is a DSM-5/ICD-10 based caregiver-report screening tool that consists of 19 Likert-scaled items. This study evaluated the item-validities, item-difficulties, item-variances, part-whole corrected item total-correlations, reliability, and the factorial, diagnostic, and convergent/discriminant validities of the DiBAS-R in a clinical, adult ID sample (N = 219). Factor analysis yielded two consistent dimensions; i.e., social interaction/communication and stereotypy/rigidity/sensory abnormalities. The diagnostic validity was adequate, as reflected by an area under the curve of 0.89 and balanced sensitivity and specificity values of 81%. The DiBAS-R total scores were significantly correlated with the Social Communication Questionnaire (r = 0.52), the Scale for Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Mentally Retarded Persons (r = 0.50), and the Autism-Checklist (r = 0.59), while no significant correlation with the Modified Overt Aggression Scale was observed. The interrater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.88). These findings indicate that the DiBAS-R is a promising and psychometrically sound instrument for ASD screening of adults with ID.     

Further psychometric properties of the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale — Second Edition

The Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is a widely used clinician-rated measure for assessing obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Although numerous studies have supported its reliability and validity, improved phenomenological understanding of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) suggests the need for modifications to item content, structure, and scoring. Consequently, the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale — Second Edition (Y-BOCS-II) was developed. While the Y-BOCS-II shows initial promise, minimal data exist in examining the psychometric properties of the Y-BOCS-II English version. In response, the Y-BOCS-II was administered to 61 adult patients with a principal diagnosis of obsessive–compulsive disorder. The internal consistency for the scores on the Obsession Severity (α = .83), Compulsion Severity (α = .75), and Total Severity (α = .86) scales were acceptable to good. The inter-rater reliability for the severity scale scores was excellent (ICC = .97–99) and the test–retest reliability was acceptable (r = .64–81). Strong convergent validity was observed between the Y-BOCS-II Total Severity scale and other measures of obsessive–compulsive symptom severity and related impairment. Good divergent validity was supported by non-significant correlations between the Total Severity score and measures of anxiety and impulsiveness, though a moderate correlation was observed with depressive symptoms. Collectively, the Y-BOCS-II generally possesses sound psychometric properties and appears to be a viable alternative to the original Y-BOCS.     

Standardization of the Japanese version of the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (GSQ)

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often have sensory processing abnormalities. However, limited measures that assess these problems in adults with ASD have been developed till date, particularly in Japan. Robertson and Simmons (2012) developed a self-rating scale to investigate sensory sensitivity: the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (GSQ). In the present study, we developed a Japanese version of GSQ and investigated sensory abnormalities in adults with ASD. We compared results of the Japanese version of GSQ in adults between an ASD group (n = 64) and a control group (n = 70). In addition, we also administered these individuals with the autism spectrum quotient (AQ), which is a questionnaire for assessing autistic traits. The Japanese version of GSQ scores was significantly higher in the ASD group than that in the control group. The total GSQ score and each sensory subscale showed a positive correlation with AQ in the total study sample. These results indicate that individuals with pronounced autistic traits have more frequent and extreme sensory processing problems compared with that in individuals with less pronounced autistic traits. We also assessed validity of the new test. Cronbach's α of the questionnaire was calculated, and its high value indicates that the Japanese version of GSQ has high reliability.     

Psychometric properties of the French Version of the Social Responsiveness Scale in autism spectrum disorder with or without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ObjectivesThe Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) is an instrument that is commonly used to screen for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) frequently occurs with ASD and both disorders share some phenotypic similarities. In the present study, we aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the French version of the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and its 5 subscales (social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, and autistic mannerisms) to discriminate between children with ADHD and those with ASD (differential diagnosis) and children with ADHD from those with a dual diagnosis of ADHD and ASD (comorbid diagnosis).MethodSRS total scores and the 5 subscores of the SRS were compared between 4 groups of children: ADHD (n = 32), ASD + ADHD (n = 30), ASD (n = 31) and typical neurodevelopment (TD; n = 30) children. The discriminant validity was estimated using the Area Under the ROC Curves (AUC).ResultsSRS Social cognition (AUC = 0.73) and Autistic mannerisms (AUC = 0.70) subscores were the most discriminating for differential diagnosis of ASD and ADHD. SRS total scores (AUC = 0.70), and Social communication (AUC = 0.66) and Autistic mannerisms (AUC = 0.75) subscores were the most discriminating for comorbid diagnosis of ASD among ADHD children.ConclusionThe SRS autistic mannerisms subscore was found to be clinically relevant for both differential diagnosis of ASD and ADHD and comorbid diagnoses of ASD among ADHD children but with a modest discriminant power.     

Clinimetric properties of the Assessment of Preschool Children's Participation in children with cerebral palsy

This study examines the criterion-related validity and clinimetric properties of the Assessment of Preschool Children's Participation (APCP) for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Eighty-two children with CP (age range, two to five years and 11 months) and their caregivers participated in this study. The APCP consists of diversity and intensity scores in the areas of play (PA), skill development (SD), active physical recreation (AP), social activities (SA), and total areas. Tests were administered at baseline and at six-month follow-up. Concurrent and predictive validities were identified by assessing the strength of correlations between APCP scores and criterion-related measures—the 66-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) and Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM). Responsiveness was measured by standardized response mean (SRM). Minimal detectable change (MDC) at the 95% confidence level (MDC₉₅) and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) were analyzed. The APCP with GMFM-66 and WeeFIM had fair to excellent concurrent validity (r = 0.39–0.85) and predictive validity (r = 0.46–0.82). The SRM values of the APCP diversity and intensity scales in all areas were 0.8–1.3. The MDC₉₅ and MCID ranges for all areas (i.e., PA, SD, AP, SA, and total areas) were 0.1–0.7 and 0.4–1.2 points for intensity scores, respectively, and 4–17% and 10–19% for diversity scores, respectively. Therefore, the APCP scale was markedly responsive to change. Clinicians and researchers can use these clinimetric APCP data to determine whether a change score represents a “true” or clinically meaningful effect at post-treatment and follow-up.     

Linguistic validation of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) in Iranian children with Persian language

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to have a linguistic validation of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) in Iranian children with Persian language.MethodsThe study included a randomly selected sample of children, aged 6–15 years, from three primary and secondary schools located in Isfahan City, Iran. Following the forward–backward translation method, parents completed the SDSC as well as the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™). Reliability (Cronbach’s α) and convergent validity (item–subscale and subscale–total correlations) were assessed. The association of SDSC scores with PedsQL scores was evaluated for construct validity.ResultsOne hundred children were studied; mean age, 9.36 ± 2.58 years, 68 girls. Scale Cronbach’s α was 0.82, ranging from 0.40 for ‘disorder of arousal’ to 0.86 for ‘sleep hyperhidrosis’ subscales. Convergent validity was acceptable according to the corrected item–subscale correlations (r = 0.22–0.76) and corrected subscale–total correlations (r = 0.30–0.50). The SDSC total score as well as its subscales, except the ‘disorder of arousal’, were associated with the total PedsQL score and its factors (r = −0.20 to −0.64).ConclusionThe overall psychometric properties of the Persian version of the SDSC seem to be appropriate in Iranian children.     

Time-stability of the “Functional Remission of General Schizophrenia” (FROGS) scale

Functional remission in schizophrenia is an important treatment goal, particularly for patients who have achieved symptomatic remission. The Functional Remission of General Schizophrenia (FROGS) scale has recently been developed, with the FROGS total score being reported as reliable in a cross-sectional study, with an exploratory factor analysis showing three oblique meaningful factors. As such an instrument should have a stable structure over time, but also be able to detect improvement of functioning with time, we have further analysed the validity of the FROGS scale, specifically assessing time-stability. We re-evaluated the initial patient sample around 1.5 years after the first evaluation (mean = 17.1 months, standard deviation = 1.9), restricting the analyses to patients who were still being followed-up and in clinical remission (n = 140 patients). The mean (standard deviation) FROGS total score was 75.82 (10.85) at the second evaluation, showing a significant improvement with time (3.84; P < 0.0001 versus the first evaluation). The internal consistency/reliability of the FROGS scale was still very high (Cronbach's α=0.919). Significant improvements between the first and second evaluations were also apparent for all the individual items in the FROGS scale (P < 0.01) as well as for the subscores for the three extracted factors (P < 0.0001). Statistically significant correlations were observed between the FROGS scale and other indices, including the Global Assessment of Functioning (r = 0.58; P < 0.0001). These results provide further evidence of the solid psychometric properties of the FROGS scale.     

Assessment of joint attention in school-age children and adolescents

Joint attention (JA), the ability to share attention to an object or event with another person, is one of the earliest identified deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and directly influences language and social development. There are several effective assessments of JA for young children (e.g., Mundy et al., 2003), but none are appropriate for school-age or adolescence. We developed a measure of response to JA and assessed individuals with ASD (n = 18) and typical development (n = 24), ages 7 to 17. Six naturalistic prompts were interleaved throughout a testing session. Discriminative validity was high: there was a broad range for both groups, though scores were lower for children with ASD. Scores in the ASD group were associated with receptive language, symptomatology, and theory of mind. Reliability across examiners was high (κ = .875). This measure, which requires no special equipment and minimal training, was useful in capturing JA skills in older individuals with and without ASD. Further, scores were associated with theoretically related skills, indicating high external validity. Given the powerful developmental sequelae and numerous interventions for JA, this measure offers a longitudinal assessment opportunity.     

Toward a motor signature in autism: Studies from human-machine interaction

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders which core symptoms are impairments in socio-communication and repetitive symptoms and stereotypies. Although not cardinal symptoms per se, motor impairments are fundamental aspects of ASD. These impairments are associated with postural and motor control disabilities that we investigated using computational modeling and developmental robotics through human-machine interaction paradigms.MethodFirst, in a set of studies involving a human–robot posture imitation, we explored the impact of 3 different groups of partners (including a group of children with ASD) on robot learning by imitation. Second, using an ecological task, i.e. a real-time motor imitation with a tightrope walker (TW) avatar, we investigated interpersonal synchronization, motor coordination and motor control during the task in children with ASD (n = 29), TD children (n = 39) and children with developmental coordination disorder (n = 17, DCD).ResultsFrom the human–robot experiments, we evidenced that motor signature at both groups’ and individuals’ levels had a key influence on imitation learning, posture recognition and identity recognition. From the more dynamic motor imitation paradigm with a TW avatar, we found that interpersonal synchronization, motor coordination and motor control were more impaired in children with ASD compared to both TD children and children with DCD. Taken together these results confirm the motor peculiarities of children with ASD despite imitation tasks were adequately performed.DiscussionStudies from human-machine interaction support the idea of a behavioral signature in children with ASD. However, several issues need to be addressed. Is this behavioral signature motoric in essence? Is it possible to ascertain that these peculiarities occur during all motor tasks (e.g. posture, voluntary movement)? Could this motor signature be considered as specific to autism, notably in comparison to DCD that also display poor motor coordination skills? We suggest that more work comparing the two conditions should be implemented, including analysis of kinematics and movement smoothness with sufficient measurement quality to allow spectral analysis.     

Caregiver's Concerns-Quality of Life Scale (CC-QoLS): Development and evaluation of psychometric properties

We have developed a Caregiver's Concerns-Quality of Life Scale (CC-QoLS) for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) who exhibit aggressive behaviour. The CC-QoLS is a brief (8 items in each subscale, CC and QoL respectively) proxy measure completed by caregivers. This is a specific health related quality of life instrument (HRQoL) combined with measures of caregiver's concerns for use as an outcome measure to assess clinical and cost effectiveness of interventions for aggression in adults with ID. The CC-QoLS was found to have good face validity and very good test–retest reliability with an ICC of 0.81 for CC (range 0.46–0.83 across items) and 0.80 for QoL (range 0.65–0.81 across items). Similarly, the scale had good inter-rater reliability with an ICC of 0.67 for CC (range 0.31–0.63 across items) and 0.63 for QoL (range 0.31–0.65 across items). Internal consistency for each subscale was also good (Cronbach's alpha was 0.85 for CC and 0.80 for QoL; Split-half Spearman–Brown was 0.81 for CC and 0.70 for QoL). Furthermore, the scale showed good concurrent validity with measures of severity of aggressive behaviour, namely Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) (CC: r = 0.4; p ≤ 0.01 and QoL: r = −0.2; p ≤ 0.05) and Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Irritability subscale (ABC-I) (CC: r = 0.5; p ≤ 0.01 and QoL: r = −0.02; p ≤ 0.05) as well as Caregiver's Uplift and Burden Scale score (<0.05). We believe that the CC-QoLS is a user friendly, easy to complete, first-ever HRQoL measure for adults with ID and aggressive behaviour with very good psychometric properties.     

Implicit and explicit motor learning: Application to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Aims and objectivesThis study aims to determine whether children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are capable of learning a motor skill both implicitly and explicitly.MethodsIn the present study, 30 boys with ASD, aged 7–11 with IQ average of 81.2, were compared with 32 typical IQ- and age-matched boys on their performance on a serial reaction time task (SRTT). Children were grouped by ASD and typical children and by implicit and explicit learning groups for the SRTT.ResultsImplicit motor learning occurred in both children with ASD (p = .02) and typical children (p = .01). There were no significant differences between groups (p = .39). However, explicit motor learning was only observed in typical children (p = .01) not children with ASD (p = .40). There was a significant difference between groups for explicit learning (p = .01).DiscussionThe results of our study showed that implicit motor learning is not affected in children with ASD. Implications for implicit and explicit learning are applied to the CO-OP approach of motor learning with children with ASD.     

The SWedish Eating Assessment for Autism spectrum disorders (SWEAA)—Validation of a self-report questionnaire targeting eating disturbances within the autism spectrum

The aim was to design and validate a questionnaire pertaining to eating problems in individuals with normal intelligence, within the autism spectrum. The questionnaire was based on literature search and clinical experience. The validation focused on psychometric properties of reliability and validity using a clinical group of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (n = 57) and a matched, healthy comparison group (n = 31). The instrument showed high levels of reliability, convergent and discriminant validity and scaling properties. Logistic regression analyses discerned the single item Simultaneous capacity and the subscale Social situation at mealtime as the best predictors of ASD. In conclusion, the questionnaire is valid and reliable to detect disturbed eating behaviours in individuals with ASD and normal intelligence.     

Women's posttraumatic stress symptoms and autism spectrum disorder in their children

Maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring through multiple pathways: maternal stress may affect the fetus; ASD in children may increase risk of PTSD in mothers; and the two disorders may share genetic risk. Understanding whether maternal PTSD is associated with child's ASD is important for clinicians treating children with ASD, as PTSD in parents is associated with poorer family functioning. We examined the association of maternal PTSD with offspring ASD in a large US cohort (N ASD cases = 413, N controls = 42,868). Mother's PTSD symptoms were strongly associated with child's ASD (RR 4–5 PTSD symptoms = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.39, 2.81; RR 6–7 symptoms = 2.89, 95% CI = 2.00, 4.18). Clinicians treating persons with ASD should be aware of elevated risk of PTSD in the mother. Genetic studies should investigate PTSD risk alleles in relation to ASD.     

Validity and reliability assessment of the Brazilian version of the game addiction scale (GAS)

BackgroundThe uncontrolled use of video games can be addictive. The Game Addiction Scale (GAS) is an instrument that was developed to assess this type of addiction. The GAS consists of 21 items that are divided into the following seven factors: salience, tolerance, mood modification, relapse, withdrawal, conflict and problems. This study assessed the convergent validity and reliability of the GAS according to measures of internal consistency and test–retest stability.Material and methodsThree hundred and eighty four students completed the GAS, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Video Game Addiction Test (VAT). A subgroup of the participants (n = 76) completed the GAS again after 30 days to determine test–retest stability.ResultsThe GAS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92), was highly correlated with the VAT (r = 0.883) and was moderately correlated with the BDI (r = 0.358), the LSAS (r = 0.326) and the IAT (r = 0.454).ConclusionIn the Brazilian Portuguese population, the GAS shows good internal consistency. These data indicate that the GAS can be used to assess video game addiction due to its demonstrated psychometric validity.     

Révision de l’échelle française de mesure de la sociotropie et de l’autonomie : validation d’une échelle à 20 items mesurant de dépendance sociale de primo-entrants à l’université

ObjectiveSociotropy and autonomy have been described as personality styles promoting the occurrence of stress in individuals. The SAS (for sociotropy-autonomy scale) corresponds to a 60-item instrument devoted to sociotropy and autonomy estimation in various populations. However, the different SAS versions display variations in item scoring, in scale structure and in factor composition. Furthermore, there is a lack of scale invariance analysis. Consistent with a larger work dedicated to understanding contributors of students’ achievement during their trainings, the objective of this study was devoted to a refinement of French SAS item properties and to a measure of scale invariance in order to ensure that the French SAS be a trustable tool to measure sociotropy and autonomy among first- year students. Because a preliminary analysis invalidated several SAS items, a second objective has consisted of the definition and validation of a new scale estimating social dependency in students.MethodsIn all, 2365 students registered in first year of technological training (n = 778) and health training (n = 1587) were enrolled. They were asked to electronically answer the 60-item French SAS. The responses were collected between October and November 2017 for students registered in technological formation, and between March and April 2018 for health students. Item-score correlation coefficients (r_item-score) and anti-image correlation coefficients (AIC) were calculated for each item, and threshold values (r_item-score > 0.3 ; AIC > 0.6) were considered as acceptance criteria. Factor analyses were run in order to determine scale structure. Internal consistency was deduced from Cronbach's α, McDonald ω and Great Lower Bound (GLB) coefficients. Convergent and discriminant validities were analysed in considering construct reliability coefficient (CR > 0.7), average variance extracted (AVE > 0.4), mean shared variance and squared correlation coefficient calculated between two factors, as validity criteria. Configurational, metric and scalar levels of invariance were analysed prior to statistical comparisons of the scores obtained by different subgroups.ResultsIn all, 1223 responses were collected and analysed. GLB and ω coefficients calculated for the full SAS indicated unacceptable internal consistency. Of the 60 items, 40 did not meet the acceptance criteria (i. e. r_item-score < 0.3 and AIC < 0.6). The remaining items had acceptable psychometric properties, and their composition defined a new scale reflecting the measure of social dependency. The overall scale internal consistency was good (ω = 0.83, GLB = 0.88). Factor analyses resulted in a replicable 5-factor structure including: need of affection (α = 0.74, ω = 0.74, GLB = 0.77), fear of dropping out (α = 0.67, ω = 0.68, GLB = 0.70), fear of loneliness (α = 0.61, ω = 0.61, GLB = 0.67), attention to others (α = 0.69, ω = 0.69, GLB = 0.71) and worry about the disapproval of others (α = 0.71, ω = 0.71, GLB = 0.74). Discriminant validity was satisfied for all factors. Convergent validity was entirely satisfied for need of affection, fear of dropping out and for attention to others, but it was not optimal for fear of loneliness and worry about the disapproval of others. Invariance measurements identified non-invariant items that were discarded from score calculations. Following statistical comparison, it was observed that female students had higher social dependency and fear of dropping out than males. Furthermore, female students registered in health training had stronger attention to others than did their male equivalents. It was also observed that female health students scored better for social dependency, fear of dropping out, attention to others, and importance of others’ gaze than their technology-educated counterparts.ConclusionThis work has invalidated the use of the overall 60-item French SAS to measure sociotropy and autonomy in first year students. By contrast, the refinement of the French SAS items led to a trustable 20-item instrument to investigate social dependency. Scale invariance characteristics allow confident statistical comparisons between sub-groups. This work shows that first-year female students registered in health or technological trainings exhibit a higher social dependency than males. Furthermore, first-year female health students show more social dependency than their technological counterparts. Because the conditions of recruitment of first-year students in heath formations in France are planned to change in September 2020, future studies will be warranted to analyse their social dependency.