Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access originally published online on April 19, 2007
Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2007 32(7):807-818; doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsm025
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Factor Structure and Clinical Implications of Child Behavior Checklist/1.5–5 Ratings in a Sample of Girls Adopted from China
1Department of Psychological and Social Foundations, 2Department of Educational Measurement and Research, and 3Center for Research on Children's Development & Learning, University of South Florida—Tampa
All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Tony Xing Tan, EdD, Department of Psychological & Social Foundations, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Florida Avenue, EDU 162, Tampa, Florida 33620. E-mail: tan{at}coedu.usf.edu.
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Abstract |
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Objective This study assessed psychometric properties of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1.5–5) and explored clinical insights from its use in a sample of adopted Chinese girls. Methods Parental ratings were obtained on 707 adopted Chinese girls, ages 1.50–5.92 years (M = 3.24, SD = 1.26). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), employing robust weighted least squares estimation, was used to evaluate the instrument's seven-factor correlated structure. Profiles of scores were analyzed descriptively for clinical insights. Results The CFAs indicated that the fit of Achenbach and Rescorla's (2000 Manual for the ASEBA preschool forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Centre for Children, Youth, & Families) model to the data obtained from the adopted Chinese girls was acceptable using either a 2-point response scale or the original 3-point response scale for the 67 items from which the seven syndromes or correlated factors are derived. Values for the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) for the 2-point and 3-point response scales were .049 and .053, respectively. The RMSEA of .049 for the model using the dichotomously scored items was slightly better than what Achenbach and Rescorla (2000) reported for the same model (.06). Conclusions The study provides additional evidence of the factorial validity of the CBCL/1.5–5 and supports its use with Chinese girls adopted into North American families. While the Chinese girls showed similar or better behavioral adjustment, compared to a reference group from the CBCL's normative sample, they tended to manifest higher levels of sleep problems.
Key words: adopted children; Chinese girls; confirmatory factor analysis; Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1.5–5); Internalizing Behavior Problems; Externalizing Behavior Problems..
Received June 1, 2006; revision received January 15, 2007; accepted March 19, 2007