Psychometric Properties of Turkish Version of the Behavior Problems Scale for High School Students

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Behavior Problem Scale (BPS) in a sample of Turkish high school students. Methods: This is a descriptive study and confirmatory factor analysis was used. The scale was administered to 542 Anatolian high school students from 9th, 10th and 11th grades in Ankara. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for both single and two-factor models of the BPS and the following indices were obtained: (χ2(35)=166.09, p=0.01; χ2/df-ratio=4.74; GFI=0.939, CFI=0.893, RMSEA=0.083, and SRMR=0.049) for two-factor model. The internal consistency of the BPS was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha, which was 0.80 for the total; 0.71 for rudeness; and 0.70 for disobedience. For criterion validity, Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) was used. Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant negative correlation between BPS scores and MSLSS, suggesting that participants with a high BPS scores were more likely to score lower on the MSLSS. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the Turkish version of the BPS provides a reliable and valid measure for Turkish high school students.