Order effects in the measurement of social development

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of order effects between two measures of social negotiation: the Hypothetical Interpersonal Negotiations Strategies Interview (Schultz, Yeates & Selman, 1989) and the Real-Life Interpersonal Negotiations Strategies Interview (Schultz and Selman, 1989). The presence of order effects would raise doubts as to the validity of the above interviews. Thirty-six subjects (12 grade fours, 24 grade sevens) were administered the two interviews in one of two orders, HINSI-RLINSI, or RLINSI-HINSI. The findings did not support the main hypothesis: no order effects were seen in the overall scores of the two interviews. However, a secondary hypothesis, that order effects may be seen in interview questions involving adults and unfamiliar people, was supported. These findings suggest that whereas no overall order effects occur when administering the two interviews, caution should be used when interpreting responses given under specific types of social contexts.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat