Factor structure and construct validity of the Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale-II

The Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale-II (BDS-II) was developed as an improved scoring method to the original BDS, which was designed to evaluate the capacity for independent regulation of behavior and attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factor structure and construct validity of the BDS-II, which had not been adequately re-examined since the development of the new scoring system. In a sample of 164 Veterans with a mean age of 35 years, exploratory factor analysis was used to evaluate BDS-II latent factor structure. Correlations and regressions were used to explore validity against 22 psychometrically sound neurocognitive measures across seven neurocognitive domains of sensation, motor output, processing speed, attention, visual-spatial reasoning, memory, and executive functions. Factor analysis found a two-factor solution for this sample which explained 41% of the variance in the model. Validity analyses found significant correlations among the BDS-II scores and all other cognitive domains except sensation and language (which was not evaluated). Hierarchical regressions revealed that PASAT performance was strongly associated with all three BDS-II scores; dominant hand Finger Tapping Test was also associated with the Total score and Factor 1, and CPT-II Commissions was also associated with Factor 2. These results suggest the BDS-II is both a general test of cerebral functioning, and a more specific test of working memory, motor output, and impulsivity. The BDS-II may therefore show utility with younger populations for measuring frontal lobe abilities and might be very sensitive to neurological injury.