ASSESSMENT OF PRETERM INFANTS BEHAVIOR (APIB) - CONFIRMATORY FACTOR-ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIORAL CONSTRUCTS

Confirmatory analysis was used;to specify behavioral domains from resu lts of the Assessment for Preterm Infants' Behavior (APIB). The APIB m easures both task performance and quality of performance, which theore tically improves the possibility of discriminating infant functional c apacity beyond that obtained by measuring task performance exclusively . We hypothesized that the APIB measures six behavioral domains, inclu ding overall modulation of behavior, availability for examination, mot or competency, sociability, habituation, and reactivity. The subjects were a medically heterogeneous group of 145 infants who required neona tal intensive care. Data from 157 behavioral and 41 reflex items, out of a possible 280 items, were used. The model was highly acceptable by several practical indices of fit (Bentler-Bonett Normed Fit Index = . 994; Bentler-Bonett Nonnormed Fit Index = .999; Comparative Fit Index = .999). The six behavioral constructs are clinically understandable a nd parsimonious with respect to the behavioral measures included. The results suggest that prerequisites for social interaction of infants r equiring neonatal intensive care include both overall modulation and a vailability, which are unique and distinct from each other and from mo tor competency and habituation.