Evidence-Based School Behavior Assessment of Externalizing Behavior in Young Children.
REDSOCS gives BCBAs a quick, classroom-ready way to measure disruptive behavior with confidence.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Busch et al. (2010) tested a short classroom checklist called REDSOCS. It tracks three disruptive acts: aggression, rule-breaking, and being off-task.
Teachers or observers watch a child for a few minutes and tally what they see. The team wanted to know if the scores are reliable and if they change after treatment.
What they found
REDSOCS held up well. Two of the three behavior categories showed solid inter-observer agreement, convergent validity, and treatment sensitivity.
In plain words, different observers gave the same child similar scores, and the scores moved in the expected direction after help was given.
How this fits with other research
Matson et al. (2013) later used the SOAP tool in a drug-plus-parent-training trial with kids with autism. They also saw reliable change, extending the REDSOCS idea to a new group and setting.
Dudley et al. (2019) pushed the same brief-observation logic into the home kitchen. Their BOSCC snack-time ratings tracked social communication gains, showing you do not need a playroom to get valid data.
Pitetti et al. (2007) took the playground instead of the classroom. Their recess checklist correctly flagged every child with autism versus typical peers. Together these papers say: short, structured looks at kids can give trustworthy scores across places and diagnoses.
Why it matters
You can add REDSOCS to your kit today. Spend ten minutes watching, count the three behaviors, and you have numbers that withstand scrutiny. If the child later starts an intervention, repeat the count to show parents and teachers whether things are moving. No extra toys, cameras, or long forms needed.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the psychometric properties of the Revised Edition of the School Observation Coding System (REDSOCS). Participants were 68 children ages 3 to 6 who completed parent-child interaction therapy for Oppositional Defiant Disorder as part of a larger efficacy trial. Interobserver reliability on REDSOCS categories was moderate to high, with percent agreement ranging from 47% to 90% (M = 67%) and Cohen's kappa coefficients ranging from .69 to .95 (M = .82). Convergent validity of the REDSOCS categories was supported by significant correlations with the Intensity Scale of the Sutter-Eyberg Student Behavior Inventory-Revised and related subscales of the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale-Revised: Long Version (CTRS-R: L). Divergent validity was indicated by nonsignificant correlations between REDSOCS categories and scales on the CTRS-R: L expected not to relate to disruptive classroom behavior. Treatment sensitivity was demonstrated for two of the three primary REDSOCS categories by significant pre to posttreatment changes. This study provides psychometric support for the designation of REDSOCS as an evidence-based assessment procedure for young children.
Education & treatment of children, 2010 · doi:10.1353/etc.0.0084