Levels Of Behavior Problems Research Articles

Exploring the Utility of the Limited Prosocial Emotions Specifier for Subtyping Conduct Problems and Oppositional Defiant Problems: A Multi-informant Study.

This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of the "Limited Prosocial Emotions" (LPE) specifier in subtyping conduct problems (CP) and oppositional defiant problems (ODP) among two samples including 1203 parent-child dyads and 1,937 school-attending youths in Iran. The prevalence of LPE across the entire sample, as well as subsamples of youths with clinically elevated levels of CP and ODP, were examined. CP + LPE individuals scored significantly higher than CP-Only youths on several measures of externalizing psychopathology and depression, although these findings were not fully consistent across informants. Several anticipated differences in measures of aggression and antisocial behavior were not found. Also, no significant group differences were observed between the ODP + LPE and ODP-Only groups concerning externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. In the total sample, youths with LPE scored significantly higher in measures of externalizing and internalizing psychopathology than those without LPE, though the magnitude of these differences was in small ranges. Overall, the findings provide only limited support for the clinical utility of the LPE specifier for CP and none whatsoever for ODP.

Daily Associations between Parental Warmth and Discipline and Adolescent Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits.

Past longitudinal research has demonstrated links between parenting behaviors and adolescent conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits on macro timescales (e.g., years). Less is known about daily fluctuations in parenting behaviors and adolescent CP and CU traits, as well as their daily associations on a micro timescale. This study investigated thedaily reciprocal associations between three key dimensions of parenting behaviors-parental warmth, inconsistent discipline, and non-harsh discipline-and adolescent CP and CU traits, and explored potential moderating effects of person-mean levels of these parenting behaviors on within-person cross-day links. Participants included an ethnically-racially diverse low risk community sample of 86 adolescents (Mage = 14.5years, 55% female, 45% non-White) who completed daily reports over 1month regarding their perceived parenting behaviors and their own levels of CP and CU traits (2056 total observations). Results from dynamic structural equation modeling showed that at the within-person level, higher than average levels of inconsistent discipline were linked to higher than average levels of CU traits the next day. Among adolescents with higher person-mean levels of parental warmth and non-harsh discipline, daily parental warmth and non-harsh discipline were protective against CU traits. Moreover, among adolescents with higher person-mean levels of parental warmth, adolescent CU traits also evoked lower parental warmth the next day. These findings have significant implications for understanding daily fluctuations in parenting behaviors and adolescent CP and CU traits, and inform novel parenting-based interventions that capitalize on recent advances in mobile and other technology.

Dimensions of Parenting and Children's Conduct Problems: The Importance of Considering Children's Callous-Unemotional Traits.

Research has clearly indicated that the development of serious behavioral problems in children and adolescents is influenced by parenting. However, recent research has refined the role of parenting by showing the importance of distinguishing between different types of parenting and in considering the role of callous-unemotional traits (CU traits) and conduct problems (CP) of the children. In the current study, we advance this research by distinguishing between emotional (e.g., parental warmth; parental hostility) and behavioral (e.g., use of positive reinforcement; inconsistent discipline/harsh discipline) aspects of parenting and by considering the way parents respond to children's emotions (i.e., coaching and dismissing). The sample consisted of 136 mothers (M = 38.09 years, SD = 4.51 years, 45.41% high school degree) with a child (age range 3-5 years) enrolled in kindergarten in central Italy. Multiple regression analyses indicated that, after controlling for level of CP, use of positive reinforcement (β = -0.31, p < 0.001) and warm feelings (β = -0.22, p < 0.05), remained associated with CU traits and punitive parenting was no longer significant. Consistent with predictions, use of positive reinforcement was no longer associated with conduct problems when controlling for CU traits and the positive associations with punitive parenting (β = 0.24, p < 0.05) and negativity (β = 0.36, p < 0.001) remained significant. These findings support the need for continued research that considers both the emotional and behavioral aspects of parenting and disentangles their associations with conduct problems and CU traits. Such research could not only advance causal theories for children with conduct problems but also help to guide more effective treatments, especially for those with elevated CU traits who often leave treatment with significant conduct problems remaining.

Effects of SRSD With Social Skills Prompts on the Writing Skills and Problem Behaviors of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often struggle with simultaneously meeting students’ writing and behavioral needs. Building on existing Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) literature, this study investigated the collateral effects of SRSD with social skills prompts on the writing outcomes and problem behavior of students with EBD. In a multiple probe across participants design study, we taught three upper elementary students with EBD opinion writing using the SRSD instructional framework. Outcome measures included the number of genre elements in participants’ written products, the length (i.e., total words written) and quality of written products, and the level of problem behaviors during 20-min observational sessions. Generalization measure involved the use of video prompts to determine the effects of SRSD on students’ overall writing outcomes. Post-SRSD data showed clear increases in the number of genre elements and length of written products for all participants. Additional holistic scoring revealed moderate improvements in the overall quality of written products across participants. Results on students’ problem behavior reduction were inconclusive. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Is there a gender paradox in the association between conduct problems and cannabis use? A cohort-study among Swedish adolescents.

Conduct problems (CP) predict cannabis use prospectively but the research is mixed as to whether this association is stronger among girls. A stronger association among girls would suggest a 'gender paradox' as both CP and cannabis use is less common in this group. This study aimed to assess whether the longitudinal association between CP and cannabis use in Swedish adolescents is stronger among girls. Data from two waves of a nationally representative cohort study of Swedish adolescents born in 2001 were used. Baseline measurements were collected in 9th grade (at age 15-16) and follow-up measures at 11th grade (at age 17-18). CP at baseline were significantly associated with cannabis use at follow-up adjusted for hyperactivity problems, emotional problems, socio-demographics, parental monitoring, school grades and truancy at baseline (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.24) but not when also adjusting for substance use at baseline. Boys were more likely to have used cannabis during the past year, even when controlling for prior substance use (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.76-2.98). The association between CP and cannabis use was significantly weaker for boys (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95 in the fully adjusted model). The predicted probability of cannabis use was stable at 0.13 for boys across levels of CP, but ranged from 0.05 to 0.16 for girls. The longitudinal association between CP and cannabis use was stronger among girls. The findings are indicative of a 'gender paradox' in the association between CP and cannabis use.

Pubertal timing, sex hormone levels, and associations between early life adversity and accelerated development amongst 11-year-old children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and controls: The Danish high risk and Resilience study via 11

BackgroundChildren of parents with severe mental illness have several known risk factors for altered pubertal timing. Pubertal timing is important for children’s physical and emotional development. We aimed to examine pubertal timing and associations between pubertal timing, early life adversity and child problem behavior including psychiatric diagnoses among children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and controls. MethodsSelf-reported Tanner stage (mean age 11.9, range 10.87–12.67), sex hormone levels, home environment, placement out of home, and problem behavior including psychiatric diagnoses of children at familial high-risk (FHR) of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ), bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) and population-based controls (PBC) were assessed. ResultsA total of 465 children participated in the study (Tanner assessment N = 417, sex hormones N = 293). Assessed with self-reported Tanner, no difference in pubertal timing was found between groups (p = 0.09). Hormone levels did not differ between groups except for inhibin B (mean (SD) = 55.86 (29.13) pg/mL for FHR-SZ girls vs 84.98 (47.98) pg/mL) for PBC girls (p < 0.001)) and for follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (mean (SD) = 5.82 (1.45) U/L for FHR-BP girls vs 4.54 (1.68) U/L for PBC girls (p < 0.001)). FHR children who were placed out of home (17 children, 3.8% of participants) had higher Tanner stages than those living at home (p < 0.001). Timing was not associated with level of problem behavior or psychiatric diagnoses. ConclusionsFHR children did not differ from controls in pubertal timing. Early life adversity assessed as placement out of home may be associated with accelerated pubertal timing among children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Conduct problems are associated with accelerated thinning of emotion-related cortical regions in a community-based sample of adolescents.

Few studies have examined the association between conduct problems and cerebral cortical development. Herein, we characterize the association between age-related brain change and conduct problems in a large longitudinal, community-based sample of adolescents. 1,039 participants from the IMAGEN study possessed psychopathology and surface-based morphometric data at study baseline (M=14.42 years, SD=0.40; 559 females) and 5-year follow-up. Self-reports of conduct problems were obtained using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Vertex-level linear mixed effects models were implemented using the Matlab toolbox, SurfStat. To investigate the extent to which cortical thickness maturation was qualified by dimensional measures of conduct problems, we tested for an interaction between age and SDQ Conduct Problems (CP) score. There was no main effect of CP score on cortical thickness; however, a significant "Age by CP" interaction was revealed in bilateral insulae, left inferior frontal gyrus, left rostral anterior cingulate, left posterior cingulate, and bilateral inferior parietal cortices. Across regions, follow-up analysis revealed higher levels of CP were associated with accelerated age-related thinning. Findings were not meaningfully altered when controlling for alcohol use, co-occurring psychopathology, and socioeconomic status. Results may help to further elucidate neurodevelopmental patterns linking adolescent conduct problems with adverse adult outcomes.

Behavioral and emotional problems of prisoners' children in the family environment.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the links between parental incarceration and the level of behavioral and emotional problems in children of incarcerated fathers, based on the information provided by parents. The subjects were a group of prisoners' children and two control groups. The criterion group consisted of prisoners' children (N = 72) brought up in families with an increased level of dysfunction and problem behaviors. The first control group (I) was composed of children (N = 76) brought up in complete families; the level of problem behavior in these families and the level of these children's resiliency was similar to that of prisoners' children (i.e., the criterion group). The second control group (II) was composed of children from complete families (N = 98). In these families, problem behaviors were not present at all or their level was very low, and the children's level of resiliency was significantly higher compared to prisoners' children and children from control group I. To measure behavioral and emotional problems, the version of Thomas Achenbach's questionnaire that is meant to be completed by parents: namely, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used. The level of behavioral and emotional problems in prisoners' children turned out to be significantly higher in all categories of problems compared to their peers from complete families. The results of the study indicate that parental incarceration is an additional factor increasing behavioral and emotional problems. The results of our study make it reasonable to suspect that parental incarceration affects girls more strongly than it affects boys.

Comparing center-based with home-based child care: type of care moderates the association between process quality and child functioning

This study compares process quality and child functioning in Dutch center-based care and home-based care and explores the role of the dyadic caregiver-child relationship. Participants in this study included 228 children from 74 locations (154 attending center-based child care, 74 home-based child care; mean age 2.5 years). The level of emotional and behavioral support and caregiver-child closeness was higher in home-based care than center-based care, whereas quality of the physical environment was higher in center-based child care. Children's well-being was higher and levels of problem behavior were lower in home-based care compared to center-based care. The caregiver-child relationship was related to a higher level of well-being and less problem behavior. Process quality was more strongly related to children's functioning in home-based child care compared to center-based child care. The dyadic relationship quality is an important element of the care ecology of preschool children and predicts child functioning in both home-based and center-based care.

Behavioral and Emotional Problems of Prisoners' Children Based on the Children's Self-Report.

The aim of the analyses was to investigate the relations between parental incarceration and the levels of behavioral and emotional problems in children of fathers serving prison sentences, based on the children’s self-report. We tested a criterion group and two control groups. The criterion group consisted of children whose fathers were in prison. The children in control group I were from complete families; the level of problem behaviors in these families and the level of psychological resiliency in these children were similar to the respective levels in the criterion group. Finally, control group II consisted of children whose fathers were not in prison; problem behaviors in their families were basically absent or slight, and their level of resiliency was significantly higher compared to prisoners’ children and control group I. Prisoners’ children exhibited a higher level of emotional and behavioral problems than children from families in which the father was not serving a prison sentence and in which the level of dysfunctions was low. As regards prisoners’ children compared to their peers with a similar level of resiliency and a similar level of problem behavior in the family, statistically significant differences were found only in a few categories of emotional and behavioral problems. Parental incarceration proved to be an additional factor increasing the level of behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents—particularly girls—whose fathers were imprisoned.

Incorporating callous-unemotional behaviors into school-based research.

This study investigated the utility of including teacher-reported callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors in the assessment of disruptive behaviors in school-based research. Participants included 138 first- and second-grade children (68% male; 76% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch; 61% Black, 9% Latinx, 23% White, and 7% multiracial) who completed assessments during the baseline assessment of an intervention study. Results indicated that teachers could distinguish CU from traditional indicators of disruptive behavior, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors and conduct problems (CP). When considered alone, there was mixed evidence for the utility of CU behaviors. Although higher levels of CU behaviors explained unique variation in teacher-reported social competence and global impairment, CU behaviors did not explain unique variation in disciplinary infractions, classroom behavior, or academic functioning after accounting for ADHD and CP behaviors. A different pattern of results was evident when CU was considered in conjunction with ADHD and CP behaviors. Latent profile analyses identified three subgroups of participants (i.e., a nondisruptive group, an ADHD group, and a comorbid group, who exhibited elevated levels of ADHD, CP, and CU). Compared to the nondisruptive group, the ADHD group exhibited higher rates of off-task classroom behavior and worse academic functioning. The comorbid group exhibited moderate-to-large differences from both groups on teacher-reported and objective outcomes. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to the potential value of incorporating CU behaviors, which are becoming prominent in clinical psychology and psychiatry, into school-based research and for school psychology practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Differentiating Preschool Children with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Behaviors through Emotion Regulation and Executive Functioning

ABSTRACT Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are important characteristics for identifying severe patterns of conduct problems (CP). The current study focused on (a) identifying subgroups of young children displaying a combination of CP and CU behaviors and (b) examining the extent to which executive functioning (EF) and emotion regulation (ER) are associated with CU behaviors. Participants included 249 preschoolers (N = 249, 78% boys, M age = 4.95 years; 81% Latino/Hispanic) referred to treatment because of externalizing behavior problems. CU behaviors and CP were measured via a combination of teacher/parent rating scales. A multimethod approach was used to measure EF and ER including parent/teacher rating scales, neuropsychological, and observational tasks. Poorer ER as rated by parents/teachers and observed was associated with greater levels of CU behaviors. Latent profile analyses identified three subgroups of children displaying (a) low CU/low CP, (b) moderate CU/moderate CP, and (c) high CU/high CP. Children in the high CU/high-CP group were rated as having significantly poorer rated ER compared to all other groups and poorer observed ER compared to the low-CU/low-CP group. Exploratory analyses found that children in the high-CU/high-CP group displayed marginally lower levels of rated ER but significantly better EF performance on standardized neuropsychological tasks compared to children in a low-CU/high-CP group.Children with higher levels of reported CU behaviors and CP display poorer ER yet may display relatively better EF performance compared to children with lower levels of CU behaviors and CP.

Teacher Nominations of Preschool Children at Risk for Mental Health Problems: how False Is a False Positive Nomination and What Make Teachers Concerned?

Identification attempts in populations with a low prevalence of problems usually result in a considerable number of false positives. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the false positive rate following nomination of developmental concerns by preschool teachers and the reasons for which teachers raise developmental concerns about children who display non-clinical levels of mental health problems.A total of 1430 children aged 1 to 6 years in Norwegian childcare centers were classified as true positive, false positive, true negative, or false negative by comparing preschool teachers’ nomination with their ratings on the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form, resulting in 127 (9%) false positives and 1142 (80%) true negatives.Compared to the true negative group, the false positive group received significantly higher scores on internalizing problems, externalizing problems than true negatives, conflict and significantly lower scores on closeness. Children’s internalizing and externalizing problems and age were the main factors that increased the likelihood of teachers raising concerns, while increased closeness in the teacher-child relationship reduced the likelihood of being nominated. Children’s gender and conflict level were not significant when adjusting for other factors.These findings suggest that preschool teachers’ concerns about children’s development should not be discarded as the false positive group did show elevated levels of problem behavior and poorer teacher-child relationship compared to the true negative group. Scrutinizing concerns in collaboration with parents and other mental health professionals may be beneficial to ensure healthy development for children with elevated problem levels.

Understanding the Social Relationships of Youth with Callous-Unemotional Traits Using Peer Nominations

ABSTRACT Objective The current study investigated the social and interpersonal correlates of callous-unemotional (CU) traits using peer nominations. Method Participants (N = 289) were children in Grades 3, 6, and 8 (M age = 11.47 years, 40.1% male, 64.7% self-identified racial/ethnic minority) from two public school systems in the southern United States. Participants were asked to identify peers they believed fit a number of different characteristics hypothesized to be related to CU traits, in addition to individuals they “liked most” and “liked least.” We also obtained self- and teacher ratings of CU traits and parent and teacher ratings of conduct problems (CP). Results Factor analyses extracted three dimensions from peer nominations developed from past research describing social characteristics related to CU traits—being mean and aloof (Mean/Cold), untrustworthy and not nice (Not Nice), and dominant and manipulative (Desire for Dominance). Results indicated that CU traits were significantly associated with fewer “liked most” and greater “liked least” nominations, but not after controlling for CP. In contrast, both CP and CU traits were significantly independently associated with Mean/Cold nominations, and only CU traits were associated with Not Nice nominations when controlling for CP. Conclusions The findings from the current study suggest that CU traits are largely associated with traditional indices of peer rejection because of their level of CP. However, they contribute independently to perceptions of being mean, aloof, and untrustworthy. Thus, interventions focused on strengthening the social skills of children with elevated CU traits should consider ways to change these negative peer perceptions.

Does Awareness of either Psychotropic Medication or Behavioral Interventions Bias College Students’ Ratings of a Child’s Behavior?

ABSTRACT Caregiver awareness that a child receives either psychotropic medication or behavioral intervention could bias that caregiver’s perception of the child’s behavior and give rise to incorrect conclusions about intervention effectiveness. To evaluate bias for the effects of either medication or behavioral intervention, we randomly assigned 114 participants to one of the four groups: Medication information (Med info), Behavioral information (Beh info), No change (control group), and Reverse video (Rev Vid; also no change, but participants watched videos in the reverse order). Participants watched two 5-min video clips of a child engaging in low to moderate levels of problem behavior. After watching the first video, participants rated the child’s problem behavior. Before viewing the second video, participants were informed that (a) the child received medication (Med info group), (b) the child received behavioral intervention (Beh info group), or (c) no treatment changes were made (No change groups). Results show that providing treatment information did not bias participants’ ratings of the child’s behavior. Instead, results indicate participants in the control groups correctly tracked actual changes in the child’s behavior.

Variants of Children with Psychopathic Tendencies in a Community Sample.

To investigate the heterogeneity of children with psychopathic tendencies, this study identified heterogenous subgroups among a community sample of children based on their callous-unemotional (CU) traits, conduct problems (CP), and anxiety. A latent profile analysis classified 1861 primary school students (age 6-14) into four subgroups based on parent-report CU traits, CP and anxiety: low-risk children (i.e., low in CU traits, CP, and anxiety), anxious children (i.e., high in anxiety, low in CU traits and CP), primary variants of children with psychopathic tendencies (i.e., high in CU traits and CP, low in anxiety), and secondary variants of children with psychopathic tendencies (i.e., high in CU traits, CP, and anxiety). In particular, the secondary variants evidenced higher levels of CU traits, CP, and anxiety than the primary variants. Our findings extend the heterogeneity of psychopathy to childhood and encourage future research to examine the developmental trajectories of psychopathy.

Parenting Profiles of Young Low-income African American and Latina Mothers and Infant Socioemotional Development

SYNOPSISObjective. Parenting styles are complex and have been well studied in parents of children and adolescents; however, less is known about parenting styles in early infancy, especially among ethnic minority groups. This study examines empirically identifiable profiles of early parenting that are associated with later infant socioemotional development. Design. 239 young, low-income, African American (54.8%) and Latina (45.2%) mothers were videorecorded with their 3-month-old infants. At 13-months, mothers reported on their infants’ socioemotional development. Results. Person-oriented latent class analysis was used to identify four parenting styles: Sensitive/Stimulating (25%), Warm/Unstimulating (37%), Engaged/Tough (22%), and Disengaged (16%). The most common style among African American mothers was Engaged/Tough (34.4%), and the most prevalent style among Latina mothers was Warm/Unstimulating (48.2%). Infants of Warm/Unstimulating mothers had the lowest reported levels of problem behavior at 13 months, whereas infants of Sensitive/Stimulating mothers had the highest reported mastery motivation. Infants of Disengaged mothers had the highest reported levels of internalizing and total problem behavior and the lowest reported mastery motivation. Conclusions. Qualitatively distinct styles of early parenting link to different infant socioemotional outcomes in ways not fully captured by single dimensions of parenting. Practitioners working with young mothers from diverse ethnic backgrounds may be more effective at promoting positive parenting and infant development if they understand and can build on the strengths of certain parenting styles.

A Cross-National Comparison of the Development of Adolescent Problem Behavior: a 1-Year Longitudinal Study in India, the Netherlands, the USA, and Australia.

The world youth population is the largest ever and the levels of problem behavior will influence future global health. Recognition of these issues raises questions as to whether adolescent development knowledge can be internationally applied. To date, most research examining adolescent problem behavior has been completed in the United States (USA) and there has been neglected analysis of health inequalities. The aim of the present study was to compare the structure and predictors of problem behavior in representative samples from the USA, Australia, India, and the Netherlands. Two timepoints of longitudinal data were analyzed from the International Youth Development Study that originally recruited state-representative student cohorts in 2002 in Washington State, USA (analytic sample N = 1942) and Victoria, Australia (N = 1957). Similar aged samples were recruited in Mumbai, India, in 2010 (N = 3.923) and the Netherlands in 2008 (N = 682). Surveys were matched and follow-up occurred over 1-year (average baseline ages 12 to 13). CFA identified a latent problem behavior construct comprised of substance use and antisocial behavior indicators. There were cross-national differences in the indicators for this construct. Factor loadings and items were similar between Australia and the USA; however, different items loaded on the construct for the Indian and Netherlands sample. SEM identified that problem behavior at time 2 was predicted by time 1 behavior, with cross-national differences evident. Low parent education was predictive in the USA and India. The number of risk factors present was predictive of problem behavior in all four nations. The findings suggest that evaluated preventative strategies to reduce adolescent problem behavior may have international applications. The analysis of cross-nationally matched longitudinal data appears feasible for identifying prevalence and predictor differences that may signify policy and cultural contexts, to be considered in adapting prevention programs.

Parenting and externalizing problem behavior in adolescence: Combining the strengths of variable-centered and person-centered approaches.

Previous studies often assumed that parenting practices are similar across families. This assumption is difficult to hold, especially throughout adolescence, a period of major change for both adolescents and their parents. By combining a person-centered and a variable-centered approach, the present study adds to the literature by identifying trajectory classes in parenting behaviors and assessing their associations with externalizing problem behavior. The study aimed (a) to examine the existence of subgroups with different trajectories for five parenting dimensions (i.e., support, proactive control, punitive control, harsh punitive control, psychological control) in mothers and fathers separately, and (b) to assess whether membership of a subgroup is associated with the development of rule-breaking and aggressive behavior, respectively. The current study used four waves of data, with adolescents' age ranging from 12 to 18 years. Mothers (N = 747) and fathers (N = 645) reported on their own parenting behavior, whereas adolescent (N = 1,116) reported on externalizing problem behavior. Latent class growth analyses per parenting dimension showed that trajectory classes could be distinguished for support, proactive, punitive, and psychological control, but not harsh punitive control, and this for both mother and father. Conditional growth models per parenting dimension and per parent did not show different trajectories for aggressive and rule-breaking behavior across adolescence for the distinct parenting trajectories. However, analyses indicated that depending on the parenting trajectory, there was a difference in initial (Age 12) levels of problem behavior. Suggestions for additional research on longitudinal heterogeneity of parenting among mothers and fathers of adolescents are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Latent profile analysis: another approach to look at parent–teacher agreement on preschoolers’ behavior problems

ABSTRACTInformant agreement is a common research issue in the context of children social emotional assessment. The present study analyzed parent–teacher agreement in ratings of behavior problems (BPs) using latent profile analysis (LPA). Analyses were performed for 1000 preschoolers rated, for the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales – Second Edition (PKBS-2), independently by parents and teachers. Eight clusters were obtained based on the five supplemental subscales of the Problem Behavior scale of the PKBS-2. These clusters isolated groups of children across the entire range of BPs that varied in level of rater agreement. Results highlighted that parents tend to rate their children with more BPs than teachers do. Agreement is better for children with extreme levels of BPs (low or high). Findings reinforce the usefulness of the PKBS-2 and support the use of LPA as an alternative to traditional approaches.