Personality attributes of children with conduct disorders: the discriminant power of the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire.

Abstract

Referring agencies' anecdotal reports on 684 youngsters were scrutinized for information on (1) physical/verbal violence, (2) violation of property rights, (3) investigation of police or courts, or suspensions from school, and (4) referral to a social/legal agency for follow-up care. Some 330 children with a mean age of 11.14 yr. ( SD = 2.21) met all four criteria and formed the conduct disordered group. The control group was formed by default and comprised 354 children whose mean age was 10.2 yr. ( SD = 2.03). All youngsters were given the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire which was scored for Psychoticism, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Lie. Group mean scores for conduct disordered children, when compared with controls, were significantly higher on Psychoticism and Neuroticism, somewhat higher on Extraversion but significantly lower on the Lie scale. An item-by-item comparison of both groups provided a list of characteristics claimed by conduct disordered children but not by control youngsters. It was concluded that the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire identified children in need of outpatient services.