The MAVRIC-C and MAVRIC-P: a preliminary reliability and validity study

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Developmental Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Aggression in children is a significant concern requiring reliable assessment tools.
• Understanding reactive and impulsive aggression is crucial for effective intervention.
• Existing measures may lack cross-informant reliability or comprehensive validity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cross-informant reliability and convergent validity of the Measure of Aggression, Violence, and Rage in Children (MAVRIC).
• To assess the MAVRIC's utility in distinguishing between psychiatrically hospitalized and low-risk children.
• To explore informant differences in aggression perception.

Main Methods:

• Administered the MAVRIC-Child Version (MAVRIC-C) and MAVRIC-Parent Version (MAVRIC-P) to 28 hospitalized and 54 non-patient children.
• Assessed cross-informant reliability between child and parent reports.
• Examined convergent validity using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Aggressive Behavior factor.

Main Results:

• Strong cross-informant reliability was found between MAVRIC-C and MAVRIC-P (r = .62, p < .001).
• Convergent validity was supported for both versions with the CBCL (MAVRIC-C: r = .62, p < .001; MAVRIC-P: r = .74, p < .001).
• MAVRIC scores correlated with disruptive behavior disorders, inpatient status, and assaultive behavior.

Conclusions:

• The MAVRIC demonstrates robust psychometric properties for assessing child aggression.
• The findings support the use of MAVRIC for both child and parent perspectives.
• Differences in aggression perception highlight the importance of considering informant perspectives in clinical assessments.