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Development of Two Dimensional Measures of Restricted and Repetitive Behavior in Parents and Children
David W Evans1, Mirko Uljarević2, Laina G Lusk3
1Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA.
Insights
New tools measure restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) in children and adults. These tools show RRBs are common in neurodevelopmental disorders and have high heritability, aiding clinical and genetic studies.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are common in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs), extending into the general population.
- Existing measures may not adequately capture the heterogeneity and developmental trajectory of RRBs across the lifespan.
- Understanding RRBs is crucial for diagnosing and understanding various neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce two new dimensional measurements for assessing RRBs: the Childhood Routines Inventory-Revised (CRI-R) and the Adult Routines Inventory (ARI).
- To evaluate the psychometric properties of these instruments in typical and clinical populations from infancy to adulthood.
- To examine the prevalence and heritability of RRBs across different developmental stages and diagnostic groups.
Main Methods:
- Development and online administration of the CRI-R and ARI to a nationally representative cohort of 3,108 parents and 3,032 children (12 months to 17 years 11 months).
- Exploratory factor analysis to determine the underlying structure of RRBs.
- Psychometric analyses including convergent/discriminant validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and item response theory.
Main Results:
- A two-factor structure for RRBs was identified: motor behaviors/compulsions and rigidity/insistence on sameness.
- Both CRI-R and ARI demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (Cronbach α ≥ 0.94) and test-retest reliability (r ≥ 0.87).
- RRB rates peaked in preschool and school years. Individuals with NDDs/NPDs, particularly autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder/tic disorders, showed increased RRBs. High heritability was indicated by parent-child and sibling correlations.
Conclusions:
- The CRI-R and ARI are open-source instruments with excellent psychometric properties for measuring RRBs.
- These tools are valuable for developmental, clinical, and family genetic studies.
- The instruments can aid in the identification of prodromal conditions associated with RRBs.
Objective:
Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a heterogeneous set of behaviors common across a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) that extend well into the general population. This study introduces 2 dimensional measurements of RRBs for use in typical and clinical populations from infancy to adulthood.
Method:
The Childhood Routines Inventory-Revised (CRI-R) and the Adult Routines Inventory (ARI) were created and administered online to a nationally representative cohort of 3,108 parents with 3,032 children (range 12 months to 17 years 11 months). Twenty-six percent of children and 36% of adults had at least 1 NDD or NPD.
Results:
Principal axis factoring exploratory analysis showed a 2-factor structure for the 2 instruments (motor behaviors/compulsions and rigidity/insistence on sameness). Analyses for convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency (Cronbach α ≥ 0.94), and test-retest reliability (r ≥ 0.87) indicated strong psychometric properties. Item response theory analyses indicated strong reliability across the score range for the 2 instruments. RRB rates varied across development, peaking between the preschool and school years. Children with NDDs or NPDs (particularly those with autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia/bipolar disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder/tic disorders) had increased RRBs compared with those with no diagnosis. Parent-child (0.69-0.84) and sibling-sibling (0.76-0.87) intraclass correlations indicated high heritability. Children of parents with an NDD or an NPD exhibited more RRBs compared with children of parents without NDDs or NPDs.
Conclusion:
The CRI-R and ARI are open-source instruments with excellent psychometric properties and will be useful for developmental, clinical, and family genetic studies and for the identification of prodromal conditions involving RRBs.
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