Normative and validity data for the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist

Presented normative data, collected on an unselected sample of 302 7- and 9-year-old children, for the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist. Boys were found to be rated as more deviant than girls, while age, occupation of head of household, and estimated IQ were found to be unrelated to checklist ratings of deviant behavior. The use of a cutting point on the Total Pathology Scale of the checklist derived from the normative data identified a group of clinic children, 89% of whom were found to be in need of professional attention. The potential usefulness of the checklist as an aid in making important clinical decisions is discussed, as is the need for more extensive normative data.