Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 5, 2026
Use of a Video Scoring Anchor for Rapid Serial Assessment of Social Communication in Toddlers
Published on: March 14, 2018
Norm-referenced scoring system for the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire - Revised (BISQ-R)
Jodi A Mindell1, Russell A Gould2, Liat Tikotzy3
1Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sleep Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Insights
The Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire - Revised (BISQ-R) now offers an age-based scoring system for infant and toddler sleep. This tool helps researchers and clinicians assess sleep patterns and related parent behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Sleep Medicine
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Infant and toddler sleep disturbances are common and can impact development.
- Existing sleep assessment tools may lack comprehensive, age-normed scoring.
- The Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire - Revised (BISQ-R) was developed to address these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate an age-based norm-referenced scoring system for the BISQ-R.
- To provide a standardized method for assessing infant and toddler sleep patterns.
- To evaluate the BISQ-R's utility across diverse datasets.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 33,835 caregiver submissions of the BISQ-R via a smartphone application.
- Creation of three subscales: Infant Sleep (IS), Parent Perception (PP), and Parent Behavior (PB).
- Application and validation of the age-based scoring algorithm on multiple independent datasets.
Main Results:
- The scoring algorithm was successfully applied and confirmed across various samples.
- Each subscale (IS, PP, PB) and total score (T) are age-referenced, ranging from 0 to 100.
- Consistent and convergent relationships were observed between subscales across studies.
Conclusions:
- The BISQ-R offers a comprehensive assessment of infant/toddler sleep, parent perception, and behaviors.
- The age-based norm-referenced scoring system is publicly available for research and clinical use.
- This validated scoring system enhances the utility of the BISQ-R for evaluating sleep outcomes.
Objectives:
To develop an age-based norm-referenced scoring system for the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire - Revised (BISQ-R).
Methods:
In sum, 33,835 submissions (data sample 1) of the expanded and revised BISQ-R by caregivers of infants and toddlers (1-36 months) were analyzed in the US via a publicly-available smartphone application, Johnson's® Bedtime®. Three subscales were created: Infant Sleep (IS; 5 items), Parent Perception (PP; 3 items), and Parent Behavior (PB; 11 items). The scoring algorithm was based on an age-based normative system, and each subscale was scored using a weighted average of items. Primary application of the scoring model was performed on a follow up set of 16,531 submissions (data sample 2). Secondary application was tested on an original web-based ecology study (data sample 3). Tertiary application was tested using previously published datasets consisting of a longitudinal study (data sample 4) and randomized control trial behavioral intervention study (data sample 5).
Results:
Overall application of the scoring algorithm was confirmed across multiple samples. Each subscale (IS, PP, PB) and total score (T) is age referenced (scores range from 0 to 100). Cross-comparison between subscales across studies reveal consistent and convergent relationships.
Conclusions:
The BISQ-R provides a comprehensive assessment of infant and toddler sleep patterns, as well as parent perception and parent behaviors that may contribute to sleep outcomes. The age-based norm-referenced scoring system is publicly available to be used by researchers and clinicians.
