Factorial validity and reliability of the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale

The factorial validity and internal consistency reliability of the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale was examined using a random sample of elementary-school children in grades 1 through 6. Teacher ratings of subjects' classroom behaviors on the Devereux approximated ratings obtained by the standardization sample. Internal consistency (coefficient alpha) reliability coefficients of the 11 Devereux subscales were found to be quite adequate, ranging form .80 to .93. Intercorrelations among Devereux subscales were moderate to high. A principal factor analysis of the 11 subscales produced two factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0. which cumulatively accounted for 70.2% of the total variance. When rotated via an orthogonal (Varimax) solution, the two resultant factors appeared to measure "emotional adjustment" and "academic related" dimensions of classroom behavior. Given the problem of multicollinearity that was shown to exist among subscales, the authors suggest caution in the interpretation of Devereux subscales as discrete factors.