A validity study of the Selected In-class Status Perception (SICS-P) method

Social status in the classroom has been shown to influence students' sense of adjustment and interpersonal behavior. While some studies used methods like the peer nominations method to measure sociometric popularity, this cannot be used in Japanese studies because of ethical and other issues. Therefore, this study reviewed the method used in Yukura's (2017) study to measure in-class status perception, developed the Selected In-class Status Perception (SICS-P) method, and examined its validity. Based on the findings of previous studies, in-class group status can be divided into three groups. In the SICS-P method, three scenarios were designed to create these groups, and one scenario was selected. Results indicated significant differences consistent with the predictions among the three groups in the degree to which the scenario applied to themselves, their perceived influence on friends, and their communication skills (assertiveness, empathy, and conformity). In addition, for cross-validation, the sample was randomly divided into two groups and each group was subjected to the same analysis, yielding almost the same results. These results confirmed the validity of the SICS-P method.