Do German Children Differ? A Validation of Conners Early Childhood™
Selina Türk1, Simon Harbarth1, Sebastian Bergold2
1Philipps University Marburg, Germany.
Journal of Attention Disorders
|March 17, 2020
Summary
This study validated the German Conners Early Childhood (EC)™ tool for preschoolers. The findings support using the original American factor structure for international research on early childhood psychopathology.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Psychometric Validation
- Early Childhood Development
Background:
- The Conners Early Childhood (EC)™ is a widely used tool for assessing behavioral and emotional issues in young children.
- Validating international versions of psychological assessments is crucial for cross-cultural research and consistent clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the German version of the Conners Early Childhood (EC)™ for use with German-speaking children.
- To assess the psychometric properties and factor structure of the German Conners EC™.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 720 parental and 599 childcare provider ratings of children aged 2-6 years across Germany.
- Employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA, CFA) and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs).
- Correlated Conners EC™ ratings with other established German behavioral assessment measures.
Main Results:
- Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified factors differing from the original scales.
- Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated acceptable to good model fits for the German version.
- Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) examined associations between symptom ratings and sociodemographic variables.
Conclusions:
- The factor structure of the original American Conners EC™ was confirmed in the German validation.
- The German version of the Conners EC™ is considered valid for use.
- The study recommends utilizing the established American factor structure to support international research in early childhood psychopathology.
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