The Devereux Adolescent Behavior Rating Scale: a tentative model of second-order factor structure across independent...

The second-order factor structure of the Devereux Adolescent Behavior Rating Scale was examined in (a) a sample of 254 adolescents who were receiving residential treatment for severe emotional/behavior disorders and (b) an independent sample of 404 adolescents hospitalized for substance abuse. A plausible range of factors was estimated for each group through parallel and average partial analyses and suggested wither a two- or three-factor solution. Subsequent congruence analyses provided tentative support for a three-factor model: (a) undercontrolled/disruptive behaviors; (b) withdrawn/psychotic behaviors; and (c) needs approval/dependent behaviors. The third factor was poorly defined in the residential treatment sample, but extraction of the third factor increased the across-group replicability of the first two factors.