Scale Overview
The Socio Communicative Orientation Scale – SCO was developed by Virginia P. Richmond & James C. McCroskey (1990). It is designed to measure Socio-communicative orientation (Assertiveness and Responsiveness). The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Assertiveness, Responsiveness.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Assertiveness |
2,3,5,6,9,11,14,18,19,20 |
10 |
| Responsiveness |
1,4,7,8,10,12,13,15,16,17 |
10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree that it applies, 2 = Disagree that it applies, 3 = Undecided, 4 = Agree that it applies, 5 = Strongly agree that it applies.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 10 to 50. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low dimension score: 10 – 24
- Moderate dimension score: 25 – 35
- High dimension score: 36 – 50
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Alpha coefficients typically range from .80 to .90 for both dimensions.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.