RELIABILITY AND FACTORIAL VALIDITY OF THE CHILD-BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST - AN ANALYSIS OF A CLINICAL-SAMPLE AND A FIELD SAMPLE

The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability (internal cons istency), the correlations of the scale scores and the factorial valid ity of the German version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The analyses were performed in a sample of patients at two child and adole scent psychiatric facilities (N = 1653) and in a community sample (N = 1622). The analyses were based on the 1991 American version of the CB CL. The internal consistency of most of the scales was good to excelle nt (r(tt) >.80). The reliability of the scales ''Withdrawn'', ''Somati c complaints'' and ''Social Problems'' was not completely satisfactory (r(tt) >.70). The reliability of the syndrome scales ''Thought Proble ms'' and ''Sex Problems'' and the Competence Scales was unsatisfactory (r(tt) <.70). The internal consistency of the syndrome scales in the German and American samples was very similar. The correlations between the scales were predominantly in the lower range, with some in a medi um range (r(tt) > .50). Factor analyses in the clinical sample confirm ed that the syndrome scales had been well-designed. With the exception of the scales ''Social Problems'' and ''Withdrawn'', where the items have loadings on a common factor, the scales proved to be factorially valid.