Convergent and discriminant validity of the mental processing scales of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children

Convergent and discriminant validity of the Mental Processing Scales of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) were examined using 51 first-grade children. Convergent validity was assessed using the Reading Recognition and Comprehension subtests of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test. Discriminant validity was assessed using a measure of anxiety/self-esteem, the Child Anxiety Scale, and a measure of hyperactive behavior, the Hyperactivity scale of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Results supported the convergent validity of the K-ABC; correlations with reading achievement were fairly large. The discriminant validity received only partial support. The K-ABC did not correlate with the Child Anxiety Scale, but did show rather large correlations with the measure of hyperactive behavior. Implications for understanding what the K-ABC Mental Processing Scales are measuring are discussed.     

Criterion‐Related and construct validity of the pervasive developmental disorders rating scale and the autism behavior checklist

This study investigated the validity of the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC; Krug, Arick, & Almond, 1993) and the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Rating Scale (PDDRS; Eaves, 1993a). Both instruments are screening devices designed to measure characteristics of individuals with autistic disorder or, more broadly, pervasive developmental disorders. Results showed that the total scores of the ABC and PDDRS measure significantly overlapping constructs (r= .80). Further, both instruments significantly discriminated between participants with autistic disorder and children with diagnoses frequently confused with autistic disorder. Both instruments provided respectable indices for classification accuracy (PDDRS overall accuracy = 88%, ABC overall accuracy = 80%). Finally, the ABC and PDDRS agreed in their classifications of 85% of the 136 participants; a phi coefficient based on the instruments' nominal classifications of the participants equaled .68 (p< .001). © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Development and factor structure of a self-report measure for assessing internalizing symptoms of elementary-age children

The development and factor structure of the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children (ISSC), a new self-report measure for assessing internalizing symptomatology in children, is detailed. Development of the ISSC was driven by the lack of a children's self-report instrument designed specifically to assess the broad domain of internalizing symptomatology, as well as research findings showing a high degree of comorbidity among internalizing syndromes (e.g., depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, social withdrawal). Thorough and methodologically rigorous procedures were employed during the development of the ISSC to ensure strong content validity as well as clinical utility. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic procedures were utilized on the 54-item ISSC research protocol, resulting in a strong two factor solution for the 48 items retained. Factor 1, Negative Affect/General Distress, includes items that indicate the presence of internalizing symptoms, or in some cases, the absence of optimistic or functional emotional states. Factor 2, Positive Affect, includes items describing positive affect incompatible with internalizing symptoms, or in some cases, items that reflect the absence of internalizing symptoms. Results of the factor analyses are discussed in terms of previous research on affectivity and specific internalizing syndromes or disorders. Potential uses of the ISSC, as well as further research needed, are described. Implications of the present investigation for future assessment and classification studies in the area of child psychopathology are reviewed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Identifying at‐risk preschoolers: The discriminant validity of the differential ability scales

The discriminant validity of the Upper Preschool Level of the Differential Ability Scales (DAS) was studied using 32 at‐risk preschoolers (females = 14, males = 18) with a mean age of 57.28 months (SD = 4.43) and 30 normal preschoolers (females = 13, males = 17) with a mean age of 56.40 months (SD = 6.46). The results indicated that the DAS was an excellent measure to use when trying to differentiate between at‐risk and normal preschoolers. The DAS could reliably identify, better than chance, whether a child was at‐risk or normal. Specifically, the General Conceptual Ability score was found to be approximately 77% accurate in correctly classifying at‐risk from normal preschoolers. In addition, the use of the DAS in an abbreviated format by selecting specific core and/or diagnostic subtests during the preschool screening process was strongly supported. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Multi-informant assessment of maltreated children: convergent and discriminant validity of the TSCC and TSCYC

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the convergent and discriminant validity of two trauma symptom measures, the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) [Briere, J. (1996). Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources] and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) [Briere, J. (2005). Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC). Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources]. METHODS: Children's scores on the TSCC and their caretakers' ratings on the TSCYC were analyzed in a study of 310 children presenting to one of two child abuse treatment centers. RESULTS: TSCC and TSCYC scales generally converged in their assessment of symptomatology in maltreated children. Equivalent scales measuring anxiety, depression, anger, dissociation, and sexual concerns were generally most correlated with one another. Similarly, the Posttraumatic Stress-Intrusion (PTS-I) scale of the TSCYC correlated highest with the Posttraumatic Stress (PTS) and Anxiety (ANX) scales of the TSCC, the TSCYC Posttraumatic Stress-Arousal (PTS-AR) scale was correlated with the TSCC ANX scale, and the TSCC PTS scale was most correlated with the TSCYC ANX, PTS-I, and Sexual Concerns (SC) scales. The TSCYC Posttraumatic Stress-Avoidance scale was unrelated to any TSCC scale. Discriminant function analysis revealed that the TSCC PTS scale was the best single predictor of sexual abuse-related PTSD status as identified by the TSCYC. CONCLUSIONS: The TSCC and TSCYC display moderate convergent and discriminant validity with respect to one another, despite different information sources. Nevertheless, the relatively small association between relevant TSCC and TSCYC scales indicates that different symptom informants may have different perspectives on the child's symptomatology; an outcome that may be beneficial when both measures are administered simultaneously. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: These results reinforce the notion that both child- and parent/caretaker report measures should be used in the evaluation of traumatized children, so that multiple sources of information can be considered simultaneously. In the current context, administration of the TSCC to the child and the TSCYC to the caretaker, when appropriate (i.e., in children 8-12 years of age) may yield more clinical information on the child's symptomatology than either measure would alone-perhaps especially in cases when one of the two respondents under- or over-reports the child's distress.     

Behavioral profiles of children with epilepsy: Parent and teacher reports of emotional,behavioral, and educational concerns on the BASC‐2

The Behavior Assessment Scale for Children – Second Edition (BASC‐2) was administered to 108 parents and 37 teachers of children with epilepsy (mean age of 10.6 years; 51% female, 49% male). Results demonstrated high mean scores on the Atypicality, Attention Problems, Withdrawal, and Adaptive Skills scales and a high percentage of At‐Risk or Clinically Significant scores on the majority of scales. Ratings were correlated with level of functioning, age of onset, and number of antiepileptic medications. In addition, children with poor seizure control had higher ratings on the Depression, Somatization, and Withdrawal scales, and children with temporal lobe seizures had higher scores on the Depression scale. These results confirm a high rate of behavioral concerns in children with epilepsy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Differences between WISC‐R and WISC‐III performance scale among children with ADHD

Reviews involving the Wechsler Scales for children suggest that Full Scale IQ scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition, average 5 to 6 points lower than scores on the second edition of the scale [WISC‐R, Wechsler, D. (1974). Zimmerman & Woo‐Sam, 1997], with the differences distributed disproportionately over subtests, i.e., with larger discrepancies found within the Performance Scale (Wechsler, 1991). Changes on the revised subtests of the WISC‐III Performance Scale may place children with ADHD at a disadvantage compared to their performance on analogous WISC‐R subtests. We examined IQ test performance in 122 unmedicated children with ADHD (61 given the WISC‐R, 61 given the WISC‐III), and 46 children from a healthy, comparison group (23 given the WISC‐R, 23 given the WISC‐III). The ADHD and comparison group samples were matched for sex and for Verbal IQ between WISC‐R and WISC‐III. Children with ADHD had significantly lower Performance IQ on WISC‐III compared to the WISC‐R, with the Picture Arrangement subtest showing the most significant difference. In contrast, there were no significant differences between the WISC‐R and WISC‐III cohorts on Performance IQ or any Performance subtests among the comparison group. These findings highlight the importance of examining the comparability of ability test revisions among clinical and non‐clinical populations, and will be especially salient when the WISC‐III is revised. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 331–340, 2003.     

Construct validity of the adjustment scales for children and adolescents and the preschool and kindergarten behavior scales: Convergent and divergent evidence

Construct validity (convergent and divergent) of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA; McDermott, Marston, & Stott, 1993) and the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS; Merrell, 1994a) is presented. Regular classroom teachers (n = 38) randomly selected 5‐ and 6‐year‐old children (N = 123) and rated them on the ASCA and PKBS in counterbalanced order. Convergent evidence of construct validity was observed for the PKBS Externalizing Problems scale and the ASCA Overactivity syndrome. Divergent evidence of construct validity was provided for the PKBS Externalizing Problems scale and ASCA Underactivity syndrome. Convergent and divergent evidence of construct validity for the PKBS Internalizing Problems scale and ASCA Overactivity and Underactivity syndromes was mixed. Results were identical to those of Canivez and Bordenkircher (2002). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 39: 621–633, 2002.     

The criterion-related validity of the WISC-R performance scale and other nonverbal IQ tests for deaf children

Despite the popularity of nonverbal IQ tests for psychoeducational assessment of deaf children, criterion-related validity is lacking. This may be because nonverbal IQ tests lack criterion-related validity, or because inappropriate scaling attenuates IQ achievement correlations. Two studies used samples of deaf children to test these hypotheses. The first study (N = 33) correlated WISC-R PIQs with Stanford Achievement Test-Hearing Impaired Edition (SAT-HI) grade equivalents and age-based percentiles (rs less than .37, NS). The second study (N = 64) correlated nonverbal IQs from many tests with SAT-HI scores (rs .05 to .42). The results implicate the hypothesis that criterion scale affects IQ-achievement correlations. The role of nonverbal IQ in the psychoeducational assessment of deaf children is discussed.     

Convergent validity of the BASC and SSRS: Implications for social skills assessment

The present study examined the psychometric relationship between two new rating scales, the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS; Gresham & Elliott, 1990), for a sample (N = 53) of minority kindergarten children using both parent and teacher ratings. The similarities and differences between these instruments were investigated through correlational and content analyses. In general, the results provide preliminary convergent validity evidence for the BASC and SSRS. In regard to the Social Skills subscale of the BASC, convergent validity evidence was demonstrated for the parent form of this instrument, but not the teacher form, when the SSRS Social Skills scale was used as the criterion. In addition, the correlations between the various scales of the BASC and SSRS were in the expected direction. That is, the correlation between the BASC Adaptive Skills Composite and the SSRS Social Skills scale was moderate in the teacher group (r = .44) and high in the parent group (r = .54). Similarly, correlations between the BASC Hyperactivity, Aggression, and Externalizing scales and the SSRS Problem Behaviors scale ranged from .50 to .60 and .50 to .56 in the teacher and parent groups, respectively. Implications regarding the practical utility of the BASC and SSRS for assessing social skills functioning, in particular, were presented. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The reliability and construct validity of ratings for the autism behavior checklist

The reliability and construct validity of ratings for the Autism Behavior Checklist were examined with a sample of 198 children diagnosed with autistic disorder and conditions often confused with autism. Alpha coefficients for the five scales of the ABC as well as the Total Score were reported and the factor structure of the ABC was examined through confirmatory factor analysis. The results of the reliability analyses indicated that the Total Score alpha coefficient of the ABC was adequate for screening purposes, but the reliabilities of the scales were not. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated some support for alternate four‐ and five‐factor models. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 129–142, 2006.     

The construct validity and predictive validity of a self-efficacy measure for student teachers in competence-based education

This study intends to investigate the validity of a self-efficacy measure which is developed for predictive and diagnostic purposes concerning student teachers in competence-based education. CFA results delivered converging evidence for the multidimensionality of the student teacher self-efficacy construct and the bi-factor model as underlying structure, reflecting a teacher competence framework. Factor loadings of the bifactor model evidenced the theoretical assumption that incipient student teachers enter the programme with a global undifferentiated sense of teacher self-efficacy, having teaching experiences a further differentiation takes place to a partly differentiated sense of teacher self-efficacy. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the measure succeeds in predicting students’ first-year outcomes and delivered evidence for the diagnostic value of the scale.     

Validity of the osu post‐traumatic stress disorder scale and the behavior assessment system for children self‐report of personality with child tornado survivors

Tornadoes and other natural disasters can lead to anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children. This study provides further validity for the Oklahoma State University Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale–Child Form (OSU PTSDS‐CF) by comparing it to the Behavior Assessment System for Children Self‐Report of Personality (BASC‐SRP). Correlations were significant at 0.01 between BASC‐SRP scales of Anxiety, Atypicality, and Clinical Maladjustment, and at least 0.05 between OSU PTSDS‐CF scales for Social Stress, Depression, Inadequacy, and Emotional Symptoms Index (ESI). Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) yielded significant differences at 0.01 between children with and without PTSD, based on OSU PTSDS‐CF cut‐off scores, for BASC‐SRP Anxiety, Atypicality, and Clinical Maladjustment. ANOVAs were significant at 0.05 for Social Stress, Locus of Control, Relationship with Parents, and ESI. Results yielded moderate effect sizes, and BASC‐SRP means were within normal limits for all groups. Practitioners are encouraged to supplement the BASC‐SRP with PTSD measures in children who have experienced trauma. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Convergent and concurrent validity of two measures of phonological processing

The purposes of this study were to determine the degree to which two measures of phonological awareness/ability (Test of Phonological Awareness; Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing) correlate with each other and with a measure of reading (Letter‐Word Identification), and to determine which of the individual measures of phonological ability best predict early reading skill in kindergarten children. With one exception, all correlations among measures of phonological awareness/ability were significant. In addition, all correlations among the phonological awareness measures and the reading measure were significant. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the combination of all predictor variables accounted for approximately 51% of the variability in scores on the Woodcock Letter‐Word Identification subtest. The Phonological Awareness and the Rapid Naming composites of the CTOPP were the best predictors of performance on the measures of word identification. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Content,concurrent and construct validity of the leadership skills inventory

The Leadership Skills Inventory was designed to assist students at the upper‐elementary, secondary, and post‐secondary levels in analyzing the strength of their leadership skills. This study was a subsidiary analyses of the research of Edmunds & Yewchuk (1996) to examine the content, concurrent and construct validity of the LSI. The results of a critical semantic comparison indicate support for content validity. Concurrent validity was supported statistically significant positive correlations between the LSI and all other leadership indicators. Interestingly, all nine categories of the LSI had statistically significant positive correlations with each other. Factor analysis revealed that the LSI contained only one factor, not nine as the separate categories infer. This supports the construct validity of the LSI, but as having only one construct, not nine as the categories suggest. There appears to be merit in using the LSI as a leadership indicator. However, further research is needed to improve its psychometric qualities.     

Effects of two instructional sets on the validity of the Kaufman assessment battery for children–nonverbal scale with a group of severely hearing impaired children

The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC)–Nonverbal Scale with severely hearing impaired children. The K-ABC was administered to 49 children enrolled at a public residential school for the deaf. Test instructions were given to one group employing American sign language (ASL), plus pantomime and gestures, while the other group received pantomime and gesture (PG) instructions only. No significant difference was found between the two group mean nonverbal K-ABC scores. Also, neither group scored significantly different from the K-ABC norms. Both groups scored significantly lower than K-ABC norms on the Spatial Memory subtest. Significant correlations were found between the K-ABC and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). A significant correlation also was found between K-ABC scores and Reading Comprehension. A post hoc analysis of data found that, regardless of the instructional set, the children scored significantly lower on the Nonverbal K-ABC than they did on the WISC-R Performance Scale. The study provides support for the appropriateness of the K-ABC for use with deaf children.     

The construct and predictive validity of a dynamic assessment of young children learning to read: implications for RTI frameworks

The purpose of this study was to examine the construct and predictive validity of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding learning. Students (N = 318) were assessed in the fall of first grade on an array of instruments that were given in hopes of forecasting responsiveness to reading instruction. These instruments included DA as well as one-point-in-time (static) measures of early alphabetic knowledge, rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonemic awareness, oral vocabulary, listening comprehension, attentive behavior, and hyperactive or impulsive behavior. An IQ test was administered in spring of second grade. Measures of reading outcomes administered in spring of first grade were accuracy and fluency of word identification skills and reading comprehension. Factor analysis using principal axis factor extraction indicated that DA loaded on a first factor that also included language abilities and IQ, which the authors refer to as the "language, IQ, and DA" factor. It was relatively distinct from two additional factors: (a) "speeded alphabetic knowledge and RAN" and (b) "task-oriented behavior." A three-level (children nested within classroom; classrooms nested within school) random intercept model with fixed effects predictors suggested that DA differed from word attack in predicting future reading skill and that DA was a significant predictor of responsiveness to instruction, contributing unique variance to end-of-first-grade word identification and reading comprehension beyond that explained by other well-established predictors of reading development.     

Discriminative validity of the behavior assessment system for children‐parent rating scales in children with recurrent abdominal pain and matched controls

Examined discriminative validity of the Parent Rating Scale (PRS) of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992, Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Services). Two groups were compared: a cohort with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) (n= 49) and children from the BASC‐PRS standardization sample (n = 49) matched on the background characteristics of age, race/ethnicity, and gender. A multivariate, two‐group discriminant function analysis was used to compare groups across standard scores from the nine clinical scales of the PRS. Results demonstrated that children with RAP could be differentiated (Wilks λ = .642, F = 6.45, df (9, 88), p < .001), and demonstrated higher scores on the Somatization, Depression, Anxiety, Attention Problems, and Withdrawal scales. Subsequent jackknifed classification analysis, diagnostic efficiency statistics, and an odds ratio for the classification analysis added to the overall validity of results. The practical utility of the BASC‐PRS is further supported in light of expanding roles for school psychologists in the assessment and treatment of children with health problems. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 145–154, 2003.     

An empirical study of the construct validity of social creativity

Creativity can be broadly defined as a combination of interacting individual and environmental resources leading to the production of valuable solutions. This paper concentrates on the type of creativity that can be expressed in solving social problems. After reviewing the potentially relevant psychological and contextual variables intervening in social creativity, leading to individual differences in this capacity, we present results of a study testing the nomological validity of social creativity in a group of 70 pre-adolescents. The findings indicate that social creativity performance is linked with socially relevant variables such as social competencies, popularity, and parenting style. Finally, we discuss the relevance of a creativity approach in social domains such as violence prevention programs and education.