Convergent Validity with the BERS-2 Teacher Rating Scale and the Achenbach Teacher’s Report Form: A Replication and Extension

In the present study, we sought to extend instrument validation research for a strength-based emotional and behavior rating scale, the Teacher Rating Scale of the Behavior and Emotional Rating Scale-Second Edition (BERS-2; Epstein, M. H. (2004). Behavioral and emotional rating scale (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: PRO-ED) through the use of convergent validation techniques. The associations between the strength-based domains of the BERS-2 were examined in relation to problem syndrome subscales of the Teacher’s Report Form (TRF; Achenbach, T. M. (1991b). Manual for the teacher’s report form and 1991 profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry). Both measures were conducted with 58 students with emotional disturbance in grades 2 through 12. The overall convergent validity of the BERS-2 and the TRF was strong, particularly for TRF externalizing problems and associated syndromes. However, less evidence emerged for the convergence of domain subscales characterized by behaviors of an internalizing nature. These results provide further support for the use of the BERS-2 in the assessment of the social and behavioral functioning of students with emotional disturbance.     

The revised conners parent rating scale: Factor structure replication with a diversified clinical sample

The Revised Conners Teacher Rating Scale was completed as part of a comprehensive evaluation of 135 consecutive new patients seen in the Pediatric Neurology Learning Disability Clinic at the Medical College of Georgia. The questionnaires were subjected to principal components analysis with varimax rotation. Item analysis was conducted on the obtained subscales, and convergent validity was determined by correlation with the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (Quay & Peterson, 1987). Finally, comparisons of the diagnostic groups were carried out across the subscales.I would like to thank Harry Davis, Office of Research Computing and Statistics, Medical College of Georgia, for his invaluable help in carrying out the computer analysis of the data.     

Attention,autonomic arousal,and personality in behaviorally disordered children

This study assessed the construct validity of the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPC) by measuring attention, autonomie arousal, and personality in 40 behaviorally disordered children aged 7 to 15 years. Conduct Disorder and Socialized Aggression subscales were characterized by high Psychoticism, Impulsivity, and Lie personality scores, by lower heart rate levels, and by more errors on a continuous performance reaction-time task. Conversely, Attention Problems, Anxiety Withdrawal, and Motor Excess were characterized by greater variability in reaction times. Conduct Disorder alone was related to an external locus of control, while only Attention Problems was characterized by low scores on the WISC Freedom from Distraction factor. These differential relationships suggest (a) support for the construct validity of the RBPC, (b) that antisocial behavior and hyperactivity/attention deficits are dissociated disorders, and (c) that hyperactivity/attention deficits may be characterized by fluctuations in the allocation of attentional resources rather than a core structural deficit in attention.     

Measurement Equivalence of the Child Behavior Checklist among Parents of African American Adolescents

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6-18) is a widely used parent-report measure of youth internalizing and externalizing problems. Accumulating evidence, however, suggests that the CBCL may not adequately assess clinical problems in diverse populations. We investigated the measurement equivalence (ME) of the CBCL in an African American adolescent sample (N = 145). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated poor factor model fit; however, modification indices and an alternative two-factor model produced improved fit statistics. Internal consistency coefficients of CBCL scales ranged from α = .65 to .88 and were generally lower than those reported for the normative sample. The CBCL exhibited convergent validity with conceptually similar scales on the Parent Report Scale of the Behavior Assessment System for Children; however, the correlations were weaker than those reported for the normative sample. The CBCL Internalizing composite failed to predict clinician-rated Emotional problems, however, the Externalizing composite predicted clinician-rated behavior problems. In summary, the CBCL did not exhibit unequivocal evidence of ME, as it both possesses and lacks a number of statistical attributes that would demonstrate its equivalence with African Americans. Future empirical and theoretical work is discussed.     

An investigation of relationships between teachers' ratings of behavior and children's personality traits

This study examined the relationships between teachers' ratings of children's behavior on the Behavior Problem Checklist and children's selfreported personality source traits on ageappropriate Personality Questionnaires. The sample consisted of 254 children from first through eighth grades and 13 teachers in a rural Maine elementary school. Analysis of the data revealed that teachers' ratings and children's self-reports in grades four through six agreed more frequently about problematic behavior than did children's self-reports and teachers self-ratings in grades one through three and seven and eight. In general, the study (1) supported the validity of teacher judgments made with the Behavior Problem Checklist, (2) demonstrated the ckitical need for more than one perspective when identifying and defining maladaptive behaviors potentially indicative of emotional disturbance, and (3) suggested the need to increase the accuracy of teachers' perceptions and evaluations of children's behavior.     

Psychopathology in incarcerated juvenile delinquents: does it extend beyond externalizing problems?

The present study attempted to delineate factors that are associated with and may contribute to juvenile delinquency. Delinquents were compared to a matched control group of nonoffenders on a measure of mental health problems. Twenty-four male and female incarcerated juvenile offenders and 24 nonoffending adolescents were evaluated on the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPC). As expected, the offenders scored higher (an indication of more psychopathology) on the subscales of the RBPC which represent externalizing types of problems. The offenders also scored significantly higher on the subscales reflecting internalizing problems and psychotic behavior. The results of this study point to the importance of assessing and treating offenders, especially those who are incarcerated, for difficulties other than externalizing problems.     

Factorial validity and reliability of the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale

The factorial validity and internal consistency reliability of the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale was examined using a random sample of elementary-school children in grades I through 6. Teacher ratings of subjects' classroom behaviors on the Devereux approximated ratings obtained by the standardization sample. Internal consistency (coefficient alpha) reliability coefficients of the 11 Devereux subscales were found to be quite adequate, ranging from 80 to 93. Intercorrelations among Devereux subscales were moderate to high. A principal factor analysis of the 11 subscales produced two factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0, which cumulatively accounted for 70.2% of the total variance. When rotated via an orthogonal (Varimax) solution, the two resultant factors appeared to measure emotional adjustment and academic related dimensions of classroom behavior. Given the problem of multicollinearity that was shown to exist among subscales, the authors suggest caution in the interpretation of Devereux subscales as discrete factors.The authors gratefully acknowledge computer support funding provided by the University of Wisconsin, Graduate School Research Committee Grant 135-1537 to the first author.     

The Revised Behavior Problem Checklist and severely emotionally disturbed adolescents: Relationship to intelligence,academic achievement,and sociometric ratings

This study explored the relationship among the subscales of the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist and intelligence, academic achievement, and sociometric ratings for a sample of 62 severely emotionally disturbed adolescents enrolled in a special school. A relationship of the Attention Problems-Immaturity subscale with intelligence scores and mathematics achievement was found. Four of six subscales were found to be related to peer sociometric ratings of social acceptance, while only one subscale was related to sociometric ratings of peer acceptance of his/her classmates. These findings are discussed within the context of previous research.An earlier version of this study was presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, Boston, March 1989. The author would like to acknowledge the special support and assistance of the faculty, administration, and students of the Alternative School in Brooklyn, New York.     

Assessment of Emotional Avoidance in Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of a New Multidimensional Measure

Emotional avoidance—which includes cognitive and attentional processes that function as means of avoiding or dampening emotional experiences—may be a transdiagnostic risk and maintenance factor for emotional disorders. However, existing measures generally assess separate aspects of emotional avoidance, and few multidimensional measures exist for adolescents. The aim of the current study was to establish the psychometric properties of a new multidimensional measure of emotional avoidance for adolescents--the Emotional Avoidance Strategy Inventory for Adolescents (EASI-A; Fairholme et al. 2008)--employing an exploratory structural equation modeling framework. Analyses yielded a three-factor structure for the EASI-A, including subscales measuring Avoidance of Emotion Expression, Avoidance of Thoughts and Feelings, and Distraction. Moderate correlations were observed between the EASI-A and a measure of thought suppression, and the EASI-A was significantly associated with anxiety and depression symptoms. The EASI-A is a new, psychometrically sound measure that will aid in the assessment of avoidance as a vulnerability factor for psychopathology and as an outcome and mechanism for treatments of emotional disorders in adolescents.     

Distinguishing between conduct-problem and emotionally disturbed students in elementary school: a five-instrument discriminant analysis.

Five instruments, the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Differential Test of Conduct and Emotional Problems, Personality Inventory for Children, Piers-Harris Children's Self-concept Scale, and Revised Behavior Problem Checklist, were employed to effect differentiations between 44 conduct-problem and 31 emotionally disturbed students placed in public elementary school classes for the severely emotionally handicapped. Discriminant analysis of each test's rate of classification germane to both a preassessment categorization as conduct-problem vs emotionally disturbed and a postassessment classification as no problem vs conduct-problem vs emotionally disturbed vs combined problem is presented. The analysis indicated that the Differential Test of Conduct and Emotional Problems, Personality Inventory for Children, and Revised Behavior Problem Checklist can, with variable effectiveness, significantly classify groups using such pre- and postassessment information.     

Screening ADHD problems in the sports behavior checklist: factor structure, convergent and divergent validity, and group differences

The Sports Behavior Checklist (SBC) is subjected to a principal components analysis, and subscales are correlated with subscales of the Conners' Revised Parent Form and the Social Skills Rating System. Both of these analyses are conducted to determine the construct validity of the instrument. A subsample of lower socioeconomic status individuals is used to compare ADHD and control group differences on the subscales of the SBC. The authors find that a six-factor solution, as proposed by the original authors, accounted for 71.5% of the variance. As hypothesized, subscales on the SBC are low to moderately related to subscales on the anchor measures. Significant group differences are found on the Aggression, Emotional Reactivity, and Injury subscales. Implications and limitations are discussed.     

Reliability and concurrent relations between the teacher version of the child behavior profile and the conners revised teacher rating scale

A total of 104 disturbed boys aged 6–11 were assessed with the teacher version of the Child Behavior Profile and the Conners Revised Teacher Rating Scale (TRS). A subsample of 55 boys were reassessed with both measures at an interval of 1 week. For the teacher Profile, test-retest correlations averaged r=87 for eight behavior problem scales and r=91 for four adaptive functioning scales. Reliabilities were slightly higher for Externalizing scales (average r=.91) than for Internalizing scales (r=.80). Reliabilities averaged .94 for the Revised TRS. Correlations between the two measures indicated a strong correspondence between the three Externalizing scales of the Profile and the factor-based TRS scales. Specifically, Profile scales labeled Inattentive, Nervous-Overactive, and Aggressive correlated highly (p < .001) with TRS scales labeled Inattentive-Passive, Hyperactivity, and Conduct Problem, respectively. The Conners Hyperkinesis Index correlated highly with all three Externalizing scales of the Profile, particularly Aggressive (r=.82). Overall, these results support the reliability and concurrent validity of both measures.This research was supported by an NIMH Research Scientist Development Award (MH00403) to the first author and by NIMH grant number MH37372. The support of the William T. Grant Foundation is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are indebted to the students, teachers, and staff of PACE School for their cooperation. Tom Achenbach provided valuable comments on an earlier draft.     

Teacher Ratings of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Hispanic Children

This study compared teacher's ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in groups of nonreferred Hispanic and non-Hispanic White children via the Teacher Report Form, the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Scales—IV, and the Conners Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale. A total of 61 non-Hispanic White teachers completed behavior ratings of 61 Hispanic and non-Hispanic White children between 6 and 11 years old. Significant differences were found between boys and girls, with girls showing fewer behavior problems and fewer hyperactive/inattentive symptoms compared to boys. In addition, Hispanics scored similar or lower than non-Hispanic Whites on multiple subscales measuring symptomatology related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and overall behavioral disorders. In no instance did Hispanic children score as more pathological than non-Hispanic White children. The need to consider the rater's ethnicity is discussed, and findings are explained in terms of childhood socialization patterns that might help to discern the behavior displayed by Hispanic children in classroom settings.     

Parent and Teacher Agreement of Behavior Problems in Youth Diagnosed With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorders

The prevalence and severity of behavioral problems in youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be context dependent leading to discrepant informants’ reports and complicating case conceptualizations and treatment goals. This study examines the inter-rater agreement of parents and teachers on behavioral problems of 58 youth with ASD and 42 youth without an ASD diagnosis. Parents and teachers of 26 youth with ASD (M?=?4.08, SD?=?1.02) and 21 youth with non-ASD diagnoses (M?=?4.38, SD?=?0.80), ages 2–5 years, and 32 youth with ASD (M?=?7.47, SD?=?1.44), and 21 youth with non-ASD diagnoses (M?=?7.71, SD?=?1.23), ages 6–10, completed the Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher Report Form. Compared to youth with a non-ASD diagnosis (ages 2–5 years), youth with ASD also had poor to moderate agreement across subscales with the exception of comparable substantial agreement on Externalizing Behavior (ICC?=?0.73 and ICC?=?0.63, respectively) and Aggressive Behavior subscales (ICC?=?0.72 and ICC?=?0.69, respectively). Compared to youth with a non-ASD diagnosis (ages 6–10 years), youth with ASD similarly had poor agreement across subscales with the exception of moderate agreement on Anxious/Depressed subscale (ICC?=?0.41 and ICC?=?0.06, respectively). These results suggest that the severity and prevalence of behavior problems in youth may depend on the context and reporter of the symptoms.     

Recognizing young children in need of mental health assessment: Development and preliminary validity of the early childhood screening assessment

The Early Childhood Screening Assessment (ECSA) is a primary care screening measure developed to identify very young children (1½–5 years old) who need further emotional or behavioral assessment. The ECSA was developed specifically to meet the logistical constraints of primary care settings. This study assessed the preliminary psychometric properties of the ECSA by comparing it with extant validated measures of young children's emotional and behavioral development, comparing it with a diagnostic interview, and measuring test‐retest reliability. In the study, 309 mothers in two primary care clinics completed the ECSA and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; T. Achenbach & L. Rescorla, 2000). A subset (n = 69) also completed the Diagnostic Interview for the Preschool Age (DIPA; M. Scheeringa & N. Haslett, 2010). ECSA score correlated significantly and strongly with the CBCL Total Problem T score (Spearman's rho = 0.86, p ? .01). The ECSA was 86% sensitive and 83% specific in identifying DIPA diagnoses. Internal consistency of the ECSA was 0.91. Test‐retest reliability at 10 days was excellent (Spearman's rho = 0.81, p ? .01). The ECSA is an easy‐to‐use screening measure that demonstrates strong convergent validity, criterion validity, and test‐retest reliability in the pediatric setting. It shows potential as a feasible and psychometrically strong tool for busy primary care providers to identify preschoolers who need further socioemotional assessment.     

The Daily Child Behavior Checklist

The purpose of this study was to develop a child behavior checklist that could be completed on a daily basis and that included both positive and negative child behaviors. Participants in the study were six groups of individuals, including one group of clinical psychology graduate students and five groups of either clinic-referred or nonclinic children and their parents. Content, discriminant, concurrent, and statistical conclusion validity data as well as test-retest reliability data were collected on the Daily Child Behavior Checklist (DCBC). The results indicated that the instrument has satisfactory validity and reliability and is reasonably sensitive to daily changes in child behaviors. The advantages and uses of the DCBC are discussed.     

Three traditional and three new childhood anxiety questionnaires: their reliability and validity in a normal adolescent sample

The current study examined the psychometrics of three traditional [i.e., the trait anxiety version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), and the Fear Survey Schedule for Children - Revised (FSSC-R)] and three new childhood anxiety scales [the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS)] in a large sample of normal adolescents (N=521). Childhood anxiety scales were generally found to be reliable in terms of internal consistency. Furthermore, evidence was obtained for the convergent and divergent validity of the various anxiety questionnaires. That is, anxiety questionnaire scores were found to be substantially intercorrelated. Particularly strong associations were found between total scores of the STAIC and the RCMAS, total scores of the SCARED and the SCAS, and between subscales that intend to measure specific categories of anxiety symptoms. Childhood anxiety questionnaires were substantially connected to an index of depression, although correlations among anxiety questionnaires were generally higher than those between anxiety scales and a measure of depression.     

Factorial dimensions of the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist: Replication and validation within a kindergarten sample

The factor structure of the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPC) was examined in a large sample of suburban kindergarten children. Teacher-rated dimensions of Conduct Disorder, Attention Problems-Immaturity, Anxiety-Withdrawal, and Psychotic Behavior were closely replicated, and a new factor labeled Unmotivated-Isolated was also revealed. These principal components were consistent across gender and across subsamples of children differing as to risk status for learning failure. Evidence was found for the divergent validity of the externalizing dimensions of Conduct Disorder and Attention Problems-Immaturity with respect to criterion measures of alternative behavior ratings, cognitive functioning, and academic achievement. Parent-rated components of Conduct Disorder, Attention Problems-Immaturity, Hyperactive-Impatient, Tense-Withdrawn, Anxiety, and Passive-Conforming were less clearly validated, and parent-teacher agreement was modest. It was concluded that the RBPC shows promise for the assessment of preschool-aged children and that narrow-band externalizing dimensions of inattentive versus conduct-disordered behavior are reasonably distinct at this age.We would like to express our deep appreciation to Winifred Setrakian, Judy Alien, and Elizabeth Stone of The CHILD Center for their invaluable administrative support.     

Can Constructive Thinking Predict Decision Making?

We assume that executive function constitutes an integrated set of cognitive processes that mediate working memory, planning, inhibition, flexibility, and decision making. Despite the acknowledged theoretical connection between executive function processes and emotional intelligence, such relationships have rarely been investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential relationship between constructive thinking, conceived as a component of emotional intelligence, and executive function, as indexed by various existing neuropsychological and experimental instruments. We used the Constructive Thinking Inventory as a measure of emotional intelligence. We found that some constructive thinking subscales were able to predict distinct executive function variables. Emotional Coping, Categorical Thinking, and Esoteric Thinking subscales explained performance on various measures of executive function. Thus, we conclude that intervention programs designed to train a specific component of emotional intelligence, namely constructive thinking, could also facilitate performance in executive function processes, and vice versa. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Associations between peer nominations, teacher ratings, self-reports, and observations of malicious and disruptive behavior

This study evaluates the validity of two aggression scales for predicting observations of malicious or disruptive behavior at school. Subgroups of a sample of 1,560 children (age 8.6+/-1.5 years) were assessed using (a) peer nominations of aggression, (b) teacher reports on the Teacher Report Form (TRF) of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Aggression scale and the peer nomination items, or (c) self-reports on the peer nomination items. Criteria were observations of physical, verbal, initiated, retaliatory, malicious, and disruptive behaviors. Teacher report peer nominations predicted observed physical, verbal, initiated, and retaliatory aggression and disruptive behavior. Peer nominations predicted physical aggression, verbal aggression, initiation and disruptive behavior, and TRFs predicted verbal, initiated, and disruptive behavior. Self-reports did not significantly predict any behavior. Implications for assessment of aggression are discussed.