Domain and Item Wise Principal Component Analysis of Problem Behaviours in Children from Single–Dual Parent Families

Abstract

This study reports additional findings of domain and directional deeper level analysis of the reported prevalence of problem behaviours based on a cross sectional survey of 300 children in the age group 6–18 years hailing from equal numbers of single and dual parent homes in relation to certain socio-demographic child and parent characteristics. The children were assessed on school-age version of ‘Child Behaviour Checklist’. While results confirm the earlier reported trends in children from dual parent homes having fewer behaviour problems than those from single-parent households, domain analysis undertaken in this extended study indicate preponderance of anxious, withdrawn-depressed and somatic oriented problem behaviours especially in girls raised by single fathers contrasting attention-related, aggression and rule breaking problem behaviours for boys reared in single-mother households. Responses from the 113-item checklist were subjected to an intercorrelation analysis between domain scores of problem behaviours. This was followed by principal component analysis to extract 47 components accounting for 70% of total variance displaying Eigen values >1 and thereby suggesting that only two components were meaningful, which are labelled as ‘externalising’ and ‘internalising’ category of problem behaviours. The results are presented and discussed in the light of their implications for the need to undertake parenting preparation programmes for contemporary single-parent families in our country.