Deviant behavior variety scale: development and validation with a sample of Portuguese adolescents

Cristina Sanches,Filipa Roncon,Hugo Gomes,João Marôco,Maria Gouveia-Pereira

doi:10.1186/s41155-016-0035-7

Abstract

This study presents the development and analysis of the psychometric properties of the Deviant Behavior Variety Scale (DBVS). Participants were 861 Portuguese adolescents (54 % female), aged between 12 and 19 years old. Two alternative models were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Although both models showed good fit indexes, the two-factor model didn’t presented discriminant validity. Further results provided evidence for the factorial and the convergent validity of the single-factor structure of the DVBS, which has also shown good internal consistency. Criterion validity was evaluated through the association with related variables, such as age and school failure, as well as the scale’s ability to capture group differences, namely between genders and school retentions, and finally by comparing a sub-group of convicted adolescents with a group of non-convicted ones regarding their engagement in delinquent activities. Overall, the scale presented good psychometric properties, with results supporting that the DBVS is a valid and reliable self-reported measure to evaluate adolescents’ involvement in deviance.

Highlights

Youth involvement in behaviors that violate social and/ or legal norms, rules or conventions has been for long the subject of interest and research, within the most diverse theoretical approaches
We haven’t found studies reporting the development of a Portuguese deviance variety scale, nor have we found studies reporting the psychometric properties or addressing the validation of a deviance scale with Portuguese adolescents
Frequency scales are the ones most often used in deviance and delinquency research, our decision about developing a variety scale was based on the results of a comparative study by Bendixen et al (2003), which has shown that variety scales have better psychometric properties as well as some practical advantages over frequency scales

Summary

Introduction

Youth involvement in behaviors that violate social and/ or legal norms, rules or conventions has been for long the subject of interest and research, within the most diverse theoretical approaches. Deviance or delinquency are commonly measured in two ways: through official records concerning convictions and through self-reported measures. Self-reports instead, have the advantage of detecting a wider range of behaviors, both in terms of variety, frequency and seriousness, but the disadvantage of being less reliable, since they might be affected by memory, bias and concealment. Despite this disadvantages, several studies have accounted for the validity of self-reports Several studies have accounted for the validity of self-reports (e.g. Farrington 1999; Jolliffe et al 2003; Webb et al 2006) and this is the method most often used in psychological research to measure delinquent and deviant behavior

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion