Psychometric evaluation of a child adaptation of the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale in an Italian primary school sample

Abstract

Social intelligence is a multidimensional construct that plays a central role in children's peer relationships and school adjustment, yet validated measures for primary school children remain scarce. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a child-adapted version of the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale (TSISkids) in an Italian sample of 669 primary school children aged 7 to 12 years. The adaptation retained the original 21-item structure while simplifying item wording and reducing the response format from 7 to 5 points. Exploratory factor analysis supported a four-factor solution, with three factors broadly corresponding to the expected dimensions of Social Information Processing, Social Skills, and Social Awareness, and a fourth factor mainly reflecting reverse-worded items. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a refined 20-item version excluding TSIS05r provided a more parsimonious and psychometrically cleaner solution while preserving the multidimensional structure of the scale. Reliability was satisfactory for Social Information Processing and Social Skills, and somewhat lower for Social Awareness. Convergent validity with trait emotional intelligence was supported by positive and moderate associations, strongest for the total TSIS-kids score and Social Skills. Measurement invariance across sex and grade was also supported, and percentile-based descriptive norms and preliminary percentile-based reference were derived. Overall, the findings support the TSIS-kids as a promising measure of social intelligence in primary school children, while highlighting the importance of developmentally appropriate wording in childhood assessment.