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Peer Relations Assessment
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About Peer Relations Assessment
Scale Name
Peer Relations Assessment
Author Details
Cynthia Hudley and Sandra Graham
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The Peer Relations Assessment (PRA), developed by Cynthia Hudley and Sandra Graham in 1993, is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure attributional bias and preference for reactive aggression among students in grades 3-6 (ages 8-12). Published in Child Development as part of the BrainPower Program, a cognitive-behavioral intervention to reduce peer-directed aggression, the PRA targets African-American and Latino boys in urban elementary schools. It assesses how children interpret ambiguous peer interactions and their inclination toward aggressive responses, grounded in social information-processing theory, particularly Kenneth Dodge’s model of hostile attributional bias (HAB). HAB refers to the tendency to attribute hostile intent to peers in ambiguous situations, increasing the likelihood of reactive aggression (e.g., retaliating to a perceived slight).
The PRA comprises 10 hypothetical vignettes depicting ambiguous peer provocations (e.g., a peer bumps into the child, causing a negative outcome), each followed by questions assessing three dimensions: attributional bias (perceived intent, hostile or benign), anger (emotional response to the scenario), and preferred behavior (likelihood of choosing an aggressive or non-aggressive response). Items are rated on a Likert-type scale (e.g., 1 = “not at all” to 4 = “very much”). The scale yields three subscale scores: Attributional Bias, Anger, and Preferred Behavior, with higher scores indicating greater hostile bias, anger, or preference for reactive aggression. Validated in a sample of 384 boys, the PRA was used to evaluate the BrainPower Program’s effectiveness in reducing hostile attributions and aggression.
Psychologists, educators, and violence prevention researchers use the PRA to identify children at risk for reactive aggression, evaluate interventions like attribution retraining, and study social-cognitive processes in peer interactions. Its administration flexibility (small groups or individual), focus on elementary students, and moderate to good test-retest reliability enhance its utility, though its English-only availability, specific demographic focus, and reliance on self-reports may limit broader application.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the PRA from primary sources, such as Hudley and Graham (1993) in Child Development or authorized research archives, ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses how they think and feel about peer interactions to support better social relationships, using age-appropriate language and emphasizing confidentiality.
- Administer in small groups (2-3 children) for grades 3-6 or individually for younger children or those with reading difficulties, reading vignettes aloud if needed. Present each of the 10 vignettes and ask respondents to rate questions on attributional bias, anger, and preferred behavior using the Likert scale.
- Approximate time for completion is 10-15 minutes, depending on group size and reading ability.
- Conduct in a classroom or quiet research setting, using paper or oral formats, ensuring a supportive environment to promote honest responses.
Reliability and Validity
The PRA demonstrates acceptable to good psychometric properties, as reported by Hudley and Graham (1993). Six-week test-retest correlations are moderate to good: Attributional Bias subscale (r = 0.68), Anger subscale (r = 0.74), and Preferred Behavior subscale (r = 0.71), indicating reasonable stability for young children’s self-reports. Internal consistency is not explicitly reported but is inferred to be moderate (e.g., α ≈ 0.60-0.70) based on similar measures and the scale’s validation process.
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with teacher ratings of reactive aggression (r ≈ 0.40-0.60) and peer nominations of aggression, aligning with findings that hostile attributional bias predicts retaliatory behavior. Discriminant validity is evidenced by weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, such as academic performance (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by the scale’s sensitivity to intervention outcomes, with significant reductions in attributional bias and aggression post-BrainPower Program, and its ability to predict reactive (but not proactive) aggression, consistent with Dodge and Coie (1987). Factor analyses are not detailed, but the three-subscale structure (bias, anger, behavior) supports construct validity. These properties affirm the PRA’s utility in violence prevention research, particularly for urban minority youth, though its moderate reliability suggests cautious use with diverse samples.
Available Versions
08-Items
Reference
Hudley, C., & Graham, S. (1993). An attributional intervention to reduce peer‐directed aggression among African‐American boys. Child development, 64(1), 124-138.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the PRA measure?
It measures attributional bias, anger, and preference for reactive aggression in peer interactions.
Who can use the PRA?
Psychologists, educators, and researchers studying social cognition and aggression in children.
How long does the PRA take to complete?
It takes about 10-15 minutes.
Is the PRA specific to certain students?
Yes, it targets grades 3-6, validated in African-American and Latino boys in urban settings.
Can the PRA inform violence prevention?
Yes, it identifies risk factors and evaluates interventions, but moderate reliability requires caution.
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