Concurrent Validity of the Tseng Handwriting Problem Checklist

The purpose of this study was to provide additional information on the concurrent validity of the Tseng Handwriting Problem Checklist (THPC) through examining the relationship between scores on the composites of the THPC and scores on four tests measuring specific perceptual-motor skills. The THPC was completed by classroom teachers for 143 Chinese school-aged children from Grades 3 through 5. Seventy-one children were identified by their teachers as having severe handwriting problemms and 72 children were randomly selected from the remaining students not identified by teachers as having severe handwriting problems. Data were collected on four perceptual-motor tests, the THPC along with writing speed and pencil grip rating. Significant but moderate correlations were found between scores on the composites of the THPC and scores on the three tests measuring perceptual-motor skills. The results provided evidence of construct validity for the motor, accuracy, and construction composites of the THPC. The fact that both the accuracy and construction composites of the THPC reflect more than one kind of the perceptual-motor skills indicates the complexity of the skills underlying handwriting performance.