Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Children’s Prosocial Behaviors in a Preschool Setting (CPBPS)

The current study aimed to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Children’s Prosocial Behaviors in a Preschool Setting (CPBPS) scale. Preschool teachers ( N = 16) completed the CPBPS and related measures for 255 children aged 3–5 years. Following item refinement procedures, the scale was reduced to 28 items representing five theoretically grounded dimensions: helping, comforting, cooperating, sharing, and defending. Principal Component Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided preliminary support for the five-factor structure, demonstrating acceptable model fit. Internal consistency coefficients ranged from .91 to .96 across subscales, indicating excellent reliability. Evidence of convergent validity was supported by significant correlations with established measures of empathy and prosocial behavior. Exploratory analyses also revealed age- and gender-related differences in prosocial behaviors, consistent with developmental literature. Overall, the findings suggest that the CPBPS is a valid and reliable teacher-report measure for assessing multidimensional prosocial behaviors in preschool settings.