Behavior Checklist Research Articles

Sharpening Organizational Skills

A checklist of behaviors (and remediation strategies) to determine organizational and sequencing difficulties in students

Cognition and adjustment among children of separated or divorced parents

The current study tested the hypothesis that coping with stress is associated with the individual's cognitive appraisals of the stressor and of their resources for coping with the stressor. Fifty-two children between 8.5 and 12 years of age who were experiencing the separation or divorce of their parents were given a measure of appraisals of divorce and a measure of appraisals of coping options. Their parents and teachers filled out behavior checklists, and teachers reported their classroom grades. For boys, appraisals of divorce situations were related to behavior in the home but not in the school. Boys' adaptive appraisals tended to be more strongly associated with behavior than were maladaptive appraisals. Their appraisals of coping options were related to personal adjustment in both the home and the school, but not to academic performance. For girls, only a few of the relationships between cognition and psychosocial adjustment were significant, possibly because of their restricted range of grades and scores on the behavior checklists. These findings provide partial support for the prediction that coping is related to appraisals of stressful events and of one's resources for coping with the events.

Patterns of Behavioral Disturbance in Developmentally Disabled and Psychiatrically Referred Children: A Cluster Analytic Approach

Previous research has shown that behavior pattern profiles derived from cluster analysis of Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist (MCBC) scores of developmentally disabled children described a large proportion of these children but only a small proportion of psychiatrically referred children. The present study was designed to derive a set of behavior pattern profiles from samples of psychiatrically referred children that would describe this population more adequately and to determine if the same patterns occurred in the developmentally disabled population. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the MCBC scores of two matched samples of psychiatrically referred chlidren. Seven clusters were replicated. Rules derived from the replicated clusters were applied to both child psychiatry samples and to samples of developmentally disabled and nonreferred children. The distribution of behavior pattern profiles differed significantly between child psychiatry and nonreferred children, and between child psychiatry and developmentally disabled children. However, the seven- cluster solution sho wed a degree of coverage in describing developmentally disabled children that was approximately equal to its coverage in describing psychiatrically referred children. Results are discussed in terms of the different frequencies of problem types in the two referred populations and in terms of the relative benefits of using the original four-cluster solution or the present seven-cluster solution.

Behavioral Assessment in the Schools:

This article discusses behavioral assessment as a way of obtaining and evaluating information used to individualize programming for special needs pupils. Behavioral assessment offers a range of techniques for gathering and for evaluating information. Strategies for obtaining information that are described are self-monitoring, direct observation, permanent product review, and retrospective ratings using behavior checklists. Strategies for evaluating information that are discussed are single-case research designs and social validation. These strategies assist in identifying pupil problems and selecting interventions, evaluating student progress, assessing treatment fidelity, determining causality, and revising individualized programs by providing a broad base for decision-making.

Assessment of acute pain and anxiety in children and adolescents by self-reports, observer reports, and a behavior checklist.

Assessment of acute pain and anxiety in children and adolescents by self-reports, observer reports, and a behavior checklist.

Assessment of acute pain and anxiety in children and adolescents by self-reports, observer reports, and a behavior checklist.

Assessment of acute pain and anxiety in children and adolescents by self-reports, observer reports, and a behavior checklist.

Systematic Analyses of Reliabilities

This paper describes two experiments designed to assess the reliability of two behavioural checklists which are commonly used in the United States, the Walker Problem Behaviour Identification Checklist (WPBIC) and the Behaviour Problem Checklist (BPC). Intra-rater reliability was assessed on the WPBIC and then on the BPC. Results indicated that both checklists would be adequate for screening, but that neither checklist exhibited sufficient reliability to be used for programmatic purposes.

Adolescent Adjustment after Incest

Post-incestual adjustment of 26 Alaskan native and non-native adolescents, 19 girls and seven boys, tended to be poor, although adaptation levels improved by rescuing seduced victims or removing the offender from the family home. Characteristics of the offender, the spouse, and the victim were identified as well as the dynamics within the family setting. An Incomplete Sentences Blank and a behavioural checklist indicated that in the aftermath of incest there was a high rate of delinquency, chronic rule violations, substance abuse and running away among victims. Low tolerance for frustration, depression and hostility towards authority figures were frequently observed behaviours. Over-eating was common among female victims and hysterical seizures were noted in four cases. Sexual acting-out occurred in 46 per cent of the subjects studied. Pitfalls apt to be encountered in treatment of victims were discussed.

Wechsler discrepancies and the Rorschach experience balance.

A higher Performance than Verbal score commonly is interpreted as indicating a more externalizing, action-oriented style, while those who display the reverse pattern of WAIS scores often are seen as better able to delay. Because very similar personality descriptions are developed from the Rorschach Experience Balance (EB), a relationship between Verbal-Performance discrepancies and the ratio of movement to color was predicted. Contrary to expectation, correlations between these two indices for a group of psychiatric inpatients (N = 188) and a group of non-referred children N = (47) were nonsignificant. The Wechsler discrepancy also was unrelated to other Rorschach indices and, for the children, to scores derived from a behavior checklist. These findings cast some doubt on the assumption of a common factor underlying the WAIS Verbal-Performance discrepancy and the Rorschach Experience Balance.

A construct validity study of the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist with developmentally disabled children.

Evaluated the construct validity of the MCBC scales and behavior profiles by determining the relationship between the MCBC and the clinical findings and recommendations that resulted from an interdisciplinary evaluation of children (N = 217) referred to a clinic for developmental disabilities. There were few differences in MCBC scale means and percentage occurrences of behavior profiles as a function of demographic factors and broad diagnostic categories. Substantial association was found between the MCBC and clinical findings of behavior problems. The association of the MCBC and clinical findings suggestive of affective problems was not as substantial, which suggests a need to augment the sensitivity of the MCBC in this area. The findings also suggested both the potential and the need for evolving additional MCBC behavior profiles that would reflect additional clinically meaningful subgroups among developmentally disabled children.

The Development of the Display and Knowledge of Sex Related Motor Behavior in Children

Three hundred and eighty male and female school children in grades K, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 were evaluated on a checklist of sex related motor behavior (sex-typed mannerisms and gestures). Subjects were evaluated walking, standing, and sitting in a natural state and when asked to act like members of the opposite sex. Results showed that males and females first showed some differences in sex related motor behavior in kindergarten. These became clear cut by the fourth grade and increased steadily after that time. Sex differences were shown first in sitting patterns, and then walking patterns. Differences in standing developed rather late. The ability to modify sex related motor behavior when asked to act like a member of the opposite sex was evident from the earliest grade and increased steadily across the grades. Apparently, the acquisition of implicit knowledge about sex differences in motor behavior occurs concurrently or before the actual display of these characteristics.

The validity and reliability of a new examination of the clinical competence of medical students.

In a previous study we described a problem-based criterion-referenced test of the clinical competence of medical students which was felt to offer advantages over the traditional final-year examination. This paper reports the validity and reliability studies on which it is possible to judge the value of this new test when compared to the traditional approach. The results demonstrate a high level of content validity and provide evidence of the construct validity of the test. Efforts to obtain measures of concurrent and predictive validity were thwarted by a failure to attain reliable assessments of ward performance from resident and consultant staff. Satisfactory levels of internal consistency were established for the whole test. Marker reliability was satisfactory in all sections of the test except for those requiring examiners to rate practical clinical skills. This was so despite the use of simulated patients, behavioural check-lists and rater training. Possible solutions to this problem are discussed. It is concluded that this new approach overcomes many of the measurement problems inherent in the traditional final examination. It has been shown to be feasible to construct and administer in the medical school setting without the need for the allocation of additional resources.

Normative data on the Missouri Children's Picture Series and the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist with Southern black children.

Normative data are presented for Southern black children on two objective personality inventories for children: the Missouri Children's Picture Series (MCPS), a child picture-sorting task, and the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist (MBCL), a parent rating scale. The MCPS was administered to 615 black children attending public schools in a low socioeconomic area of the southeast United States. Parents returned the MBCL on 437 of the children. Means and standard deviations on eight MCPS personality scales and six MCBL behavior rating scales are presented for black males and females at ages 5 through 16, and effects of age, sex, and various scale intercorrelations are discussed. Results suggest systematic age and sex differences on the various scales for black children that are quite atypical when compared with the MCPS in other samples. Various empirical questions regarding the validity of these instruments when used with Southern black children are raised.

Relationship between behavioral indices of aggression and hostile content on the TAT for incarcerated young women.

The role played by fantasy in moderating the overt expression of aggression was investigated by examining the relationship between aggressive behavior and hostile content on the Thematic Apperception Test. A Behavior Rating Scale, Behavior Checklist, and Aggressiveness of Offense Scale (Matranga, 1976) were used to measure the aggressive behavior of 15 incarcerated women between 16 and 20 yr. old. No support was found for the hypothesis that hostile content on the TAT is negatively correlated with behavioral measures of aggression. Instead, results suggested that there is no significant relationship between these variables, at least with an incarcerated, predominantly Native female population.

Facial attractiveness and behavior of patients with cleft lip and/or palate.

This study investigated the relationship between facial attractiveness and behavior of patients with cleft lip and/or palate. The subjects were the 49 patients for whom behavioral data were routinely collected when they were 10 yr. old or older and full face photographs were taken at the same time. There were no statistically significant differences between the attractive and less attractive groups of patients on the six behavioral scores of the Missouri Children's Behavioral Checklist, their ratings of self-esteem and attitude toward clefting. A possible explanation for the discrepancy of our findings from those previously reported in the literature may be the fact that our patients have had good lip repair.

Effects of Structured Learning Therapy Upon Self-Control of Aggressive Puerto Rican Fathers

Sixty fathers living in Puerto Rico with low socioeconomic backgrounds and documented histories of family-directed aggression were randomly assigned to an experimental (structured learning therapy or SLT) and a control condi tion. SLT produced a significant reduction in aggression on three dependent variables: Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), direct skill measure, and minimal generalization- of-skill measure. No such reductions were noted for the control group. Initial group differences on two of the in struments (Buss-Durkee and a behavioral checklist) negated the assumption of equivalence on the instruments and precluded further interpretations of results based on them. No differences were found between groups on the extended generalization-of-skill measure. While the general effec tiveness of SLT as a means of reducing aggression among this population was generally sustained, the suggestion is made that it should be used in conjunction with other broader approaches aimed at ameliorating cultural sup port for male aggression in the family context.

Normative and validity data for the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist.

Presented normative data, collected on an unselected sample of 302 7- and 9-year-old children, for the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist. Boys were found to be rated as more deviant than girls, while age, occupation of head of household, and estimated IQ were found to be unrelated to checklist ratings of deviant behavior. The use of a cutting point on the Total Pathology Scale of the checklist derived from the normative data identified a group of clinic children, 89% of whom were found to be in need of professional attention. The potential usefulness of the checklist as an aid in making important clinical decisions is discussed, as is the need for more extensive normative data.

An evaluation of social learning procedures designed to aid students with conduct problems

A social learning based intervention program for conduct problem students in the middle grades is described and evaluated. Multiple outcome measures were used to assess treatment effects. Teachers' reports on behavior checklists and daily ratings of targeted behaviors indicated improvement with 9 of the 12 consecutively referred students. A more conservative criterion of improvement on measures from two independent sources indicated improvement with 7 students. All of the 12 students received improved scores on at least one outcome measure, and the program was well received by teachers.

Effect of Videotape Feedback Techniques on Performance, Verbalization, and Attitude of Beginning Conductors

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two videotape feedback techniques on improvement in conducting skills of beginning conductors. One videotape feedback technique consisted of sessions spent with an experienced conducting instructor; the other technique used sessions in which each student independently viewed videotapes with behavioral observation forms and checklists. Pre- and posttests consisted of four-measure examples in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 conducted by each student and videotaped for subsequent analysis. In addition to the two experimental groups, two control groups were employed. One control group was both pre- and posttested, and the other was posttested only. Judges rated each student's pre- and posttest conducting examples (N= 336) on accuracy of beat pattern, cueing, preparatory beats, cutoffs, tempo, style, dynamics, eye contact, and frequency of mannerisms. Two other dependent measures were used-an instructional rating survey to determine student attitude and a verbal content analysis of critiques written after each feedback session. Analysis of performance data indicated (1) significant pretest to posttest gains for both experimental groups; (2) no significant difference between experimental groups; (3) no significant difference between control groups; but (4) significant differences between experimental and control groups. A content analysis of critiques written after each feedback session demonstrated significantly more deference to instructor authority in the instructor feedback group than the observation form group. In addition, the instructor feedback group had more statements concerning technique, eye contact, score preparation, and mannerisms; the observation form group had more statements concerning facial expression, body movement, and rehearsal time; and both groups had approximately equal numbers of statements concerning verbal content. The instructor rating survey indicated no significant differences between experimental groups in “instructor warmth,” “academic-intellectual content,” or “student work/input.”

An Alternative to Constant Observation: The Behavioral Check List

An Alternative to Constant Observation: The Behavioral Check List