MULTIMETHOD ASSESSMENT OF COVERT ANTISOCIAL-BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN - LABORATORY OBSERVATIONS, ADULT RATINGS, AND CHILD SELF-REPORT

Given the high risk for delinquency of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), their display of covert or clandestine antisocial behavior is important developmentally and theoretically. I n a laboratory probe of the temptation to (a) steal small amounts of m oney and desired objects, (b) destroy property, and (c) use an answer key to cheat on a worksheet, counts of these covert behaviors were rel iably made. Laboratory property destruction was highly correlated with parallel naturalistic behaviors. Stealing and property destruction (b ut not cheating) formed a factor that was distinct from overt physical and verbal aggression. These covert indexes clearly distinguished ADH D from comparison samples as well as high- from low-aggressive ADHD su bgroups; they showed external validity with maternal reports, global s taff ratings, and child self-reports of similar constructs. The author s discuss psychometric and ethical issues in the assessment of covert antisocial behavior.