The methodology for validating assessment techniques in a performance-based liberal arts curriculum was studied at Alverno College. Methods for validating a generic competence instrument that measures "social interaction" were investigated. A generic instrument is defined as one that assesses a competence level across content areas instead of using a large variety of instruments. The assessment system at the college requires students to demonstrate incremental gains while progressing through sequential levels in each competency area. A comparison was undertaken of the performance of 69 students on entrance to college with that of 32 students who had 2 years of college instruction on each of the social interaction dimensions (preparation, demonstration, self-assessment, and leadership). Including students with a broad range of age and formal learning experience led to an effective strategy for identifying those social interaction behaviors that validate the construct. The analysis indicated that the study of assessment techniques should not be limited to univariate methods. Attention is directed to instructional validity, construct validity, instrument criteria validity, and a leadership dimension (the relationship between leadership and type of program, age, and other college experience). (SW)