A multitrait-multimethod analysis of the Preschool Behavior Questionnaire.

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Behavioral Assessment

Background:

• The Preschool Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ) is a teacher rating scale assessing child adjustment.
• It provides an overall score and subscale scores for Hostile/Aggressive, Anxious/Fearful, and Hyperactive/Distractible behaviors.
• Validating such instruments is crucial for accurate behavioral assessment in early childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the construct validity of the Preschool Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ).
• Specifically, to assess convergent and discriminant validity against alternative measures.
• To determine the reliability of the PBQ's overall and subscale scores.

Main Methods:

• A multitrait-multimethod analysis was employed.
• Teacher ratings from the PBQ were compared with two alternative assessment measures.
• Statistical analyses were conducted to examine convergent and discriminant validity.

Main Results:

• The study found support for the construct validity of the PBQ's overall adjustment score.
• Convergent and discriminant validity were supported for the Hostile/Aggressive and Anxious/Fearful subscale scores.
• The validity of the Hyperactive/Distractible subscale score was not supported by the findings.

Conclusions:

• The Preschool Behavior Questionnaire is a valid measure for overall adjustment and specific behavioral dimensions (Hostile/Aggressive, Anxious/Fearful) in preschool children.
• The Hyperactive/Distractible subscale may require revision or further investigation.
• These findings contribute to the accurate assessment of preschool behavior and inform clinical and educational practices.