MULTITRAIT-MULTIMETHOD MODEL OF ADOLESCENT DEVIANCE, DRUG-USE, ACADEMIC, AND SEXUAL BEHAVIORS

A multitrait-multimethod design was used to test Jessor and Jessor's ( 1977) problem behavior theory with a sample of adolescents, their pare nts, and peers. Behaviors included general deviance, drug use, low aca demic motivation, and precocious sexual behavior While research has su pported this theory, the reliance on self-report data for the majority of this work may threaten the validity of these findings. Results fro m hierarchical confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the converg ent and discriminant validity of the seven behavior constructs was hig h and method effects were low. A two-factor second-order model, repres enting General Drug Use and Other Problem Behavior accounted for a lar ger proportion of variance in the lower order factors compared to a si ngle-factor model.