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Development of the Reactive Aggression Assessment (RAGA-16) Part I: Item Selection and Initial Validation
Joshua Langfus1, Robert L Findling2, Cecil Reynolds3
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California.
Summary
Reactive aggression (RA) in children is impairing, yet lacks specific assessment tools. The new 16-item Reactive Aggression Assessment (RAGA-16) offers a reliable measure for identifying RA behaviors in youth.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Reactive aggression (RA) is a common and impairing behavior in young children.
- Existing assessments lack specificity for RA in youth.
- There is a need for validated tools to identify and measure RA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present psychometric evidence for a novel screening tool and outcome measure for reactive aggression in children.
- To develop and validate the 16-item Reactive Aggression Assessment (RAGA-16).
Main Methods:
- A nationally representative US sample of 1,162 parents with children aged 5-19 completed an assessment of mood and behavior problems.
- Two test development approaches were used: Data-Informed and Automated Test Assembly (ATA).
- Reliability and associations with parent-reported health information were compared.
Main Results:
- Both Data-Informed and ATA-derived scales demonstrated high reliability (rxx > .80) and internal consistency.
- The Data-Informed version showed higher detection rates for parent-reported externalizing disorders (AUC = .76).
- Percentile and T-Score norms for the Data-Informed RAGA-16 are reported.
Conclusions:
- The Data-Informed version of the RAGA-16 was selected as the final tool.
- The RAGA-16 provides a brief, reliable, and targeted assessment for RA behaviors in youth.
- Future research will validate the RAGA-16 as a clinical screening tool.
