PROMIS Peer Relationships Short Form: How Well Does Self-Report Correlate With Data From Peers?

Objective To examine the psychometric properties of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS VR) peer relationships short form (PR-SF), including association with peer-reported friendships, likeability, and social reputation. Method 203 children (M-age = 10.12 years, SD = 2.37, range = 6-14) in Grades 1-8 completed the 8-item PR-SF and friendship nominations, like ratings, and social reputation measures about their peers during 2 classroom visits approximately 4 months apart, as part of a larger study. A confirmatory factor analysis, followed by an exploratory factor analysis, was conducted to examine the factor structure of the PR-SF. Spearman correlations between the PR-SF and peer-reported outcomes evaluated construct validity. Results For the PR-SF, a 2-factor solution demonstrated better fit than a 1-factor solution. The 2 factors appear to assess friendship quality (3 items) and peer acceptance (5 items). Reliability was marginal for the friendship quality factor (. 66) but adequate for the acceptance factor (. 85); stability was .34 for the PR-SF over 4 months. The PR-SF (8 items) and acceptance factor (5 items) both had modest but significant correlations with measures of friendship (r(s) = .25-.27), likeability (r(s) =.21-.22), and social reputation (r(s) =.29-.44). Conclusions The PR-SF appears to be measuring two distinct aspects of social functioning. The 5-item peer acceptance scale is modestly associated with peer-reported friendship, likeability, and social reputation. Although not a replacement for peer-reported outcomes, the PR-SF is a promising patient-reported outcome for peer relationships in youth.