Validation Study of the Korean Version of Rothbart’s Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ), including internal consistency, content validity, construct validity, cross validity, and concurrent validity with Buss and Plomin’s Emotionality-Activity-Sociability (EAS) scale. Methods The ECBQ is a caregiver-report measure designed to provide a detailed assessment of temperament in toddlers (age 13-36 months). Two groups of participants were included to check cross validity. The first group of participants included 111 toddlers and their mothers. The second group of participants included 90 toddlers and their mothers. Results First, the ECBQ subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency. Second, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the ECBQ scale reliably resulted in a three-factor solution, indicating three broad dimensions of temperament: extraversion/surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Third, the concurrent validity of the ECBQ correlated with the EAS scale. Conclusion The ECBQ is a reliable and valid temperament instrument for toddlers and is recommended for evaluating temperament in toddlers. Keywords: temperament, ECBQ (Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire), validation, early childhood, toddler