Diagnostic importance of combined parent and teacher ratings on the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist

The Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPC) was completed by parents and teachers for 105 child psychiatry outpatient boys aged 6 to 12 years. In addition, DSM-III diagnoses were determined independent of checklist results, and the children were divided into major diagnostic groups of externalizing, internalizing, and mixed disorders. Combined parent and teacher ratings proved more effective than separate ratings in distinguishing the externalizing and mixed groups from the internalizing group on the RBPC externalizing factors. The overall classification of individual boys with discriminant function analysis increased from 72% to 83% when the ratings of both parents, rather than one parent, were combined with teacher ratings. Enhancing diagnostic accuracy of type of psychiatric disorder by using combined parent and teacher behavior checklist ratings is discussed.     

Latent mean comparisons on the BRIEF in preterm children: Parent and teacher differences

Executive function is a heterogeneous construct applied to cognitive capacities that together enable individuals to effectively engage in activities toward a purposive goal. Children born at extremely low birth weight (ELBW) are at risk of executive dysfunction on performance-based measures. In natural contexts, executive function may be described using such parental and teacher questionnaires as the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). This study examined the factor structure of the BRIEF-parent form in 124 ELBW children and of the BRIEF-teacher form in 90 ELBW children. Although our data showed that the fit of a two-factor structure was adequate for the parent report, a three-factor model provided advantages over the two-factor model across all fit indices and best characterized the data. For teacher report, these data supported a three-factor but not a two-factor model. Using the three-factor model for both groups of informants, we compared parent and teacher reports (n = 90 pairs) between the three identified latent variables. Parents reported significantly more difficulty with Emotional Regulation (p < .05), and teachers reported significantly more difficulty with Behavioral Regulation (p < .05). No significant differences were found between parent and teacher reports for Metacognition.     

Agreement among student,parent and teacher ratings of school inclusion: A multitrait-multimethod analysis

One of the central objectives of inclusive education, and education in general, is not only to support every students' academic learning, but also their social and emotional development. It therefore is important to identify difficulties in a child's socio-emotional development at school. The current study investigates students' emotional inclusion and social inclusion, as well as students' academic self-concept from four different perspectives using the Perceptions of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ). In particular, we analyzed the degree of agreement between teacher, mother, and father ratings with students' self-reports. Moreover, we tested if students' gender and special educational needs (SEN) are predictors for possible bias in parent and teacher reports. Survey participants included 721 Austrian, Grade 4 students from 48 classes. In addition, data from 46 teachers, 466 mother reports, and 375 father reports were included. We assessed the consistency (i.e., agreement) between the different raters by means of multitrait-multimethod analyses, or more precisely, a correlated trait–correlated method minus one (CT-C[M-1]) model. Results of the CT-C(M-1) analyses indicated a rather strong rater bias (i.e., method effects) for all three dimensions of inclusion. However, the consistency for academic self-concept was higher than for emotional and social inclusion. Furthermore, gender and SEN status affected rater bias, particularly for teacher reports. Results suggested that it matters who reports students' emotional inclusion, social inclusion, and academic self-concept, which has methodological and practical implications.     

Attentional differences between groups of preschool children differentiated by teacher ratings of attention and hyperactivity

This study aimed to extend earlier work ( Wilding, Munir, & Cornish, 2001 ; Wilding, 2003 ) which showed that children (aged 6–15) who were rated by their teachers as having poor attentional ability made more errors on a visual search task than children rated as having good attentional ability. The present study used a simpler version of the search task which had previously been used to study attention in children with Fragile X syndrome ( Scerif, Cornish, Wilding, Driver, & Karmiloff‐Smith, 2004 ) and studied performance in normal children from a younger age group. Children aged 3 and 4 were rated by teachers for attention and hyperactivity. Regression analyses, with verbal mental age (VMA), chronological age (CA), and attention rating as independent variables, found that children with higher VMA made fewer false alarms in visual searches, as did children given a better attention rating. However, none of the independent variables was related to time or distance travelled for correct responses. The relation between attention rating and error rate was non‐linear, with the error rate increasing once the attention rating fell below the mean. The results are discussed in relation to explanations of poor attention in terms of weak inhibition.     

Social perspective-taking and teacher ratings of peer interaction in hyperactive boys

Hyperactive and matched control boys at two age levels were compared on teacher ratings of peer interaction and three measures of social perspective-taking. The teachers' ratings of peer interaction discriminated between the hyperactive children and their controls. In addition, a significant interaction effect indicated that teachers rated the older hyperactive group as more deviant with peers than both their younger hyperactive counterparts and their age-matched controls. In a structured laboratory setting, the hyperactive children did not differ from control children on the three measures of social perspective-taking. The perspective-taking measures did, however, show differences across age groups. Implications for treatment are examined.The research reported in this paper is based on master's thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pittsburgh by the first author. The authors are indebted to Dr. C. Keith Conners for his assistance in recruiting hyperactive subjects and to Drs. Alex Siegel and Carl Barenboim for their critical evaluations regarding this investigation. Appreciation is expressed to the staff, teachers, parents, and students of the Forest Grove Elementary School for their cooperation.     

The predictive power of first-grade peer and teacher ratings of behavior: Sex differences in antisocial behavior and personality at adolescence

Peer and teacher assessments of aggression, social withdrawal, and likability using the Pupil Evaluation Inventory were recorded for 104 French Canadian girls and boys in grade 1. Self-reported delinquency and personality measures were administered to these children when they were in junior high school 7 years later. Linear regression analyses revealed significant predictive differences between the grade 1 assessment of girls and boys: For antisocial behavior, teacher and peer assessments of boys were equally good predictors, and the combination of the two assessments did not improve prediction; for girls, peer and teacher assessments taken separately were weak predictors, but, taken together, they were better predictors for girls than for boys; for personality, peers were better predictors than teachers both for girls and for boys. When categorical analyses were used to predict extreme antisocial behavior, peer and teacher assessments were equally good predictors for girls and boys. The use of peer and teacher ratings together, however, decreased the number of false positives. The implications of these findings for research and clinical work are discussed.     

The relationship between teacher ratings of kindergarten classroom skills and second-grade achievement scores: An analysis of gender differences

The Kindergarten Performance Profile, a criterion-referenced teacher rating scale, was developed by a multidisciplinary group of public school teachers, child development specialists, and evaluators. The present study analyzed the social and work skill areas of the rating scale, focusing on the relationship of classroom skills in the fall and spring of kindergarten to second-grade achievement scores. Gender differences, as well as the impact of assessing children's skills in the fall versus the spring of kindergarten were explored. Results indicated that kindergarten work skills were significantly related to California Achievement Test scores for both boys and girls; however, kindergarten social skills were related to achievement scores for girls but not boys. Teacher ratings from either the fall or the spring were predictive of achievement test scores for girls, although different girls were identified as having problems at the two time periods: whereas spring evaluations were more strongly related to boys' later achievement. The implications of these findings for assessment programs are discussed.     

Stability of teacher temperament ratings over 6 and 12 months

Six and 12-month stability of teacher ratings of temperament was studied in four samples. For the two samples retested after a 6-month interval, the same teacher provided the original and retest ratings. For the two samples retested after a 12-month interval, different teachers provided the retest ratings than provided the original ratings. Four indices of stability were investigated for each sample: (a) cross-rank stability, (b) within-person stability (c) absolute score stability, and (d) factorial stability. Factorial stability was demonstrated for all samples. For the other three indices of stability, 6-month stability was moderate to high, and significantly higher than the 12-month stability. The general pattern of results is comparable to temperament rating data from parents, with specific coefficients being somewhat higher.     

Agreement of adolescent ratings with mother ratings and teacher ratings of ADHD symptom groups: A correlated trait-correlated method minus one analysis

This study examined the level of agreement of adolescent ratings with mother ratings, and adolescent ratings with teacher ratings of the inattention (IA) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI) symptom groups of ADHD. A total of 214 adolescents provided self-ratings of IA and HI, and their IA and HI were also rated by their mothers and teachers. The correlated trait-correlated method minus one model was applied, with adolescent ratings as the reference method, and the other two ratings as the non-reference methods. The findings indicated no additional variance in adolescent ratings for IA and HI that could not be accounted by mother ratings of IA and HI, respectively. In contrast, there was additional variance in adolescent ratings for IA and HI that could was not accounted by teacher ratings of IA and HI, respectively. The findings suggest that when diagnosing ADHD in adolescents, their reports of their own ADHD behaviors are not needed when mother reports of such behaviors are used.     

Grade effects on teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms among primary school students

Several studies have reported that being younger for grade increases the risk of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and being on ADHD medication among students. The aim of this study was to investigate this association in a low‐middle income country setting. Sample included 2,627 children from first to fourth grades. We compared students who were older than the 75th and younger than the 25th percentiles in consecutive grades. Teachers completed SNAP‐4 scale. Results indicated that teacher rated ADHD symptoms were 2.5 to 3.6 times more common in students who were younger for their grade, after age, gender, and Fluid IQ scores were controlled. Teacher SNAP‐4 scores were also significantly associated with grade. Our results suggested that the phenomenon of higher rates of teacher rated ADHD symptoms among younger for grade students was not limited to Western countries and that the teacher reported symptom loads were higher in these children.     

Similarities and differences in mothers' and observers' ratings of infant security on the Attachment Q-Sort

This study examined the similarities and differences in maternal and observer Attachment Behavior Q-Sort ratings (AQS; Waters, 1995) and their relations to dimensions of the developmental ecology - maternal sensitivity, infant irritability, parental stress and psychosocial risk. Data was gathered from low risk (adult mothers; N=44) and high risk mother-infant dyads (adolescent mothers; N=83) when infants were aged 6, 10 and 15 months old, attachment being assessed at 15 months by both mothers and independent observers. A common factor was extracted from both sorts and served to operationalize the similarities between mother and observer ratings. Regressions were conducted to extract maternal and observer AQS scores that were unrelated to each other to represent the difference between the two sorts. Correlation analyses indicated that the common AQS factor was moderately linked to maternal sensitivity and parental stress, and showed a weak association to psychosocial risk and infant irritability. Residual maternal scores showed greater correlations with infant irritability and parental stress than did observer residual scores. Observer scores showed a greater correlation with psychosocial risk than maternal scores. Results suggest that common AQS variance presents a pattern of associations with ecological variables that is coherent with attachment research. Variance related to irritability, stress and risk appear to drive the differences between maternal and observer observations.     

Individual differences in ratings of words combined in sentences

To examine the efficiency of regression-compounded group means as predictors of individual ratings of words combined in sentences, a study by Heise (1969) was replicated and extended to obtain pre- and postcombination ratings from the same subjects. Heise's model efficiently predicted group ratings for words combined in sentences (R²=0.86), but neither group-weighted (R²=0.19) nor individually weighted (R²=0.28) regression equations efficiently predicted the rating of individual subjects. The findings are consistent with several findings that question the applicability of widely studied models of attitude change to individual differences and alternative approaches to this problem are discussed.