MEASURING PROBLEM BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION - DIMENSIONS AND PREDICTORS

Scores from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991a) and the Client Development Evaluation Report (CDER; California Department of Developmental Services, 1980) for 67 children arrd adolescents with mental retardation were examined to evaluate tile factorial validity of the instruments. Four factor analyses were conducted. The initial f actor analysis of CBCL data failed to confirm the presence of the five first-order factors previously reported for the CBCL standardization sample (Achenbach, 1991b). Second, the higher-order factors of Externa lizing and Internalizing behaviors, similar to the structure reported for the CBCL standardization sample (Achenbach, 1991b), were confirmed on the present sample. Third the two CDER factors of Personal Maladap tion mid Social Maladaption, previously identified by Widaman, Gibbs, and Geary (1987), were also confirmed Finally, a higher-order factor a nalysis of the two factor scores from the CBCL and two factor scores f rom the CDER was conducted to study the congruence between the CBCL Ex ternalizing and CDER Social Maladaption dimensions, and between the CB CL Internalizing and CDER Personal Maladaption factors. Model are leve ls of congruence were found. Next, child characteristics, including le vel of mental retardation, age, and four dimensions of adaptive behavi or; were used as predictors of problem behavior. No child characterist ics were significantly related to the CBCL Externalizing dimension, bu t child age and level of mental retardation were significant predictor s of the CBCL Internalizing dimension. CDER Cognitive Competence predi cted CDER Social Maladaption, and child age predicted CDER Personal Ma ladaption. The findings are discussed in relation to previous studies of problem behaviors of children and adolescents with mental retardati on. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.