The Scale of Job-Related Social Skills Knowledge (SSSK) was developed for adolescents and young adults (15 to 25 years of age) who are considered severely emotionally disturbed or behaviorally disordered. It is to be administered in a one-to-one clinical interview. The interviewer should be a psychologist, counselor, teacher, or teacher aide. The SSSK should be administered in a quiet, private setting and will take approximately 45 minutes to complete. The interviewer should review the administration directions in the Administration and Scoring Procedures manual before beginning any assessment. The items should be read as written to the subject, but paraphrasing is allowed. The subject's response to cach item (i.e. what he or she would do if placed in such a situation) should be written in the space provided on this form after the appropriate item (see the sample item below). The entire measure should be completed before the responses are scored.
Sample Item
3 2 1
- Tom dressed in very "punk-like" clothes with long hair and earrings. At work, his Co-workers gave him a hard time about the way he looked. Tom liked the way he dressed and didn't want to change, but he didn't want the workers to make fun of him either. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response: Dress even more wildly to really give them something to talk about
Scoring guidelines for each item can be found in the Administration and Scoring Procedures manual. Each response should be compared with the sample responses in the manual and scored on the 3-point scale to the left of each item on this form. The assigned score relates to how effective or ineffective a particular response is in resolving the specific problematic situation.
Items
3 2 1
- Grant was hired to be a mechanic at an automobile repair shop but all he did was clean up. He went in to work on his birthday hoping that he would get to do mechanical work. Grant was very disappointed when he realized that he wasn't going to be allowed to work on the cars that day. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Terry brought his radio to listen to at work. The boss told Terry that he couldn't play the radio but Terry wanted to listen to a particular show. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- James worked at a restaurant stocking the salad bar. One night he was talking to his co workers and didn't have time to restock the salad bar before the dinner rush. His boss got mad and yelled that James was going to have to pay attention to his job. James got angry about the comment. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Penny worked as a janitor in an office building. One night the boss told her to clean an office that Penny had just finished because it wasn't cleaned properly. Penny was very tired and did not want to do the job again What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- John was told by his boss that he couldn't wear jeans on the job. John didn't think that she had the right to tell him how to dress. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Tom worked as a stocker in a grocery store He was sorting cans when his boss told him he was doing the job wrong. Tom got mad and told the boss to do the job himself. The boss got angry and told Tom he was fired. Tom regretted his outburst and didn't want to lose his job. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Mary's boss corrected her for mistakes in her work. Mary was very concerned and wanted to keep the boss happy. She asked him several times during the day if her work was OK. Finally the boss got angry and said "Mary you're really bothering me!" What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Daryl worked as a stocker in a large storehouse. He worked very hard to reorganize the storehouse and had it torn up one day when his boss came in. His boss got angry and demanded to know what he was doing. Daryl was upset because he was trying his best to be a good worker. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Tammy's boss couldn't find his pack of cigarettes. He accused Tammy of taking them. Tammy didn't steal the cigarettes and was angry that the boss had accused her of stealing. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
3 2 1
- Becky worked at a retail store. She was given three directions at the same time by her boss. She was able to remember the first set of directions but forgot the others. She didn't want to appear dumb and didn't want to ask the boss to repeat what she had said. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Frank worked in a grocery store sorting cans and bottles. After he had been working there for some time and was doing well Frank asked the boss for a change in hours and scheduling The next day the boss acted like the conversation had never occurred and no changes took place. Frank was very frustrated over the boss's lack of responsiveness to his request What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Sam's boss told him to stay late at work and help finish a rush job. Sam had made plans to meet some friends and told the boss that he wouldn't stay late. His boss seemed disgusted and told Sam that if he left work his job was going to become very hard. What would y say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- When Frances started her new job, her boss showed her what she was to do. The boss was in a hurry, however, and didn't have the time to make sure Frances understood the direction. As Frances wasn't clear on what to do, she worked very slowly and carefully to make sure she did the job correctly. When the boss came back, he was angry at Frances because she had worked so slowly. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Todd was given directions by his boss about how to do a new job. The boss was in a hurry and talked very quickly. Todd got confused and asked his boss the same questions about the job several times. The boss got angry and told Todd to pay attention. This made Todd angry. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Michelle got a new job as a waitress. After Michelle arrived at work on Friday night the boss told her that she had to help close up the restaurant. Michelle didn't want to help because she had a date but her boss was very insistent that she work late. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Pat's boss gave him two different tasks to do. Pat had a hard time deciding which job needed to be completed first and chose to start the job he thought was most important. After a while, the boss checked on him and became angry because she had wanted Pat to start with the other task. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Joe was offered a new job that started right away. He went to his boss and told his him the next day would be his last. Joe's boss got mad at him and said that Joe had to give at least 14 days’ notice before he could leave the job. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- When Tony quit his job, his boss gave him a paycheck that was half of the amount he should have earned. Tony thought that he was being taken advantage of by the boss and was angry. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Paul worked part-time and went to school full-time. He wanted to take time off work for spring vacation, but his boss told him he would be fired if he took the time off. Paul was angry because he felt that his boss owed him the time off and he would really miss the vacation time with his friends. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Jim had a flat tire on the way to work but there was no phone around to call in to say he would be late. Jim finally arrived at work 30 minutes late and his boss was very upset that Jim hadn't called in. When Jim tried to explain what had happened the boss said he didn't believe Jim's story. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Michelle was working at a concession stand at a fair. The stand was very busy and overwhelmed with customers. The boss yelled at her to hurry up. However, the boss did not yell at any of the other workers. Michelle thought she was being singled out for unfair treatment because she was the youngest worker. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Keith was hired at Dairy Queen as a cook. His boss got mad at Keith because he didn't work as fast as the cook he had replaced. Keith was doing the best he could and thought it was unfair to expect him to catch on to the job so quickly. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Peter worked outside painting houses for a contractor. One day he got very hot and tired and couldn't work as fast as his co-workers so his boss yelled at him to "hurry up." The yelling made Peter nervous and made him walk even slower. The boss became even more upset and kept yelling which made the situation worse. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Ted worked at a department store after school and was having a lot of trouble scheduling time to study for his final exams. Ted asked his boss if he could leave early every day for one week to shady for his tests. The boss told him he couldn't leave early and still keep his jab Ted became angry thinking that the boss's decision was unfair. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Bruce wanted to get out of doing some work and told the boss that he had almost finished his job and asked for a break. Later his boss found out Bruce hadn't even started to do the job and was quite angry at Bruce. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Steve worked as a stock boy on the late shift at a grocery store. After the boss would leave for the evening, Steve's co-worker would tell him to stay late to finish the job and the co-worker would leave early. Steve knew that the co-worker was taking advantage of him but didn't know what to do because the co-worker had threatened to beat him up if Steve told the boss what was going on. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Abe worked stocking the salad bar at a restaurant. Abe looked hack as he filled the containers on the salad bar and saw a co-worker redoing the work Abe had just completed. Abe got mad because the co-worker didn't think he could do the job properly. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Sally was working on an assembly job. While she was bending over a male co-worker grabbed her hair to get her attention. This surprised Sally and made her mad. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Tina worked with a co-worker who continually made fun of her and called her names. Tina tried to ignore the worker at first but finally had had enough. She told the co-worker to please stop. The co-worker laughed and said, "I won't stop, you're too much fun to give a shit to." What would you say or do you hear in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- One of Ted's co-workers heard rumors about Ted and passed the rumors on to other co-workers. Ted became very angry at the co-worker and wanted him to stop spreading the rumors. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Ned was joking and having a good time with a co-worker during a slow period at the restaurant However when the lunch rush started he kept teasing the co-worker and seemed unaware of the amount of work they had to do. The co-worker turned to Ned and said, "Why the hell don't you grow up?" Ned felt bad about the comment. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Fred had a bad reputation at work because it was known he had been in trouble with the law As a result, the co-worker tried to avoid him and refused to associate with him. Fred felt bad about the treatment. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this"?
Response:
3 2 1
- Stan tried to make friends with several co-workers. However, none of the co-workers were going to school, and all of Stan's comments related to what he did in classes. The co-workers didn't have anything to say to him and wouldn't interact with him. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Tom's co-workers regularly gave him a hard time about his work and the fact that Tom was from the school. The teasing at first made Tom feel had but, as time went by, it made him very angry. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Carol worked on a factory production line finishing the assembly of a product. The workers ahead of her worked very slowly and would talk constantly. Carol was afraid that their behavior would make her look bad but she didn't know what to say to make her co-workers work harder. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Charles was to work with a co-worker to clean out sawdust from a machine. They worked for 5 minutes and then the co-worker took a long break leaving Charles to do the work alone. Charles was mad because he got stuck doing the job. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Martha was telling dirty jokes on the job. One of her co-workers took offense at the jokes and told Martha to stop talking. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Ed was asked by his co-worker to stop whistling. Ed agreed to stop at first but then continued to whistle just to irritate the co-worker. Finally, the co-worker turned to Ed and screamed at him to stop. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Beth was working at a concession stand. A co-worker said something to Beth that she didn't hear so the co-worker hit Beth on the arm to get her attention. Beth got mad and backhanded her saying "Don't you ever touch me again!" The co-worker became very angry and came at Beth. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
3 2 1
- Jim had a crush on a girl at work but was too shy to ask her out. He sometimes stared at her during the work shift. She came over to him and told Jim that she sure didn't like him looking at her all the time. Jim was embarrassed and angry that she didn't like him. What would you say or do if you were in a situation like this?
Response:
Congratulations! You're done! Refer to the Administration and Scoring Procedures manual for instructions on rating the responses.
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