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The Adapted Firesetting Assessment Scale: reliability and validity.

J Collins¹, P E Langdon^2,3, M Barnoux¹

¹Tizard Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research : JIDR

|May 27, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Adapted Firesetting Assessment Scale (AFAS) shows good reliability and can distinguish between individuals with and without firesetting history. Further research is needed to examine its factor structure.

Keywords:

AFAS Arson autism developmental disabilities firesetting intellectual disabilities

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Developmental Disabilities
Forensic Psychology

Background:

The Adapted Firesetting Assessment Scale (AFAS) was created for adults with developmental disabilities to assess fire-related behaviors.
Key factors targeted include attitudes toward fire, interest in fire, normalization of fire, and fire safety awareness.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Adapted Firesetting Assessment Scale (AFAS).
To assess the reliability, validity, comprehensibility, relevance, and comprehensiveness of the AFAS.

Main Methods:

The AFAS was administered to 59 adults with developmental disabilities on two occasions.
Participants included individuals with and without a history of firesetting.
Feedback was collected from participants and professionals regarding the questionnaire.

Main Results:

The AFAS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and excellent test-retest reliability.
Subscales related to attitudes toward fire, fire normalization, and fire safety effectively discriminated between firesetters and non-firesetters.
Content analysis confirmed that AFAS items were understood, relevant, accessible, and comprehensible.

Conclusions:

The AFAS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing firesetting-related factors in adults with developmental disabilities.
Further investigation into the factor structure of the AFAS is recommended through a larger study.