Psychometric properties of the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised for individuals with autism spectrum disorder in Japan

• Published in: Research in autism spectrum disorders Vol. 15-16; pp. 60 - 68
• Main Authors: Inada, Naoko, Ito, Hiroyuki, Yasunaga, Kazuhiro, Kuroda, Miho, Iwanaga, Ryoichiro, Hagiwara, Taku, Tani, Iori, Yukihiro, Ryoji, Uchiyama, Tokio, Ogasahara, Kei, Hara, Koichi, Inoue, Masahiko, Murakami, Takashi, Someki, Fumio, Nakamura, Kazuhiko, Sugiyama, Toshiro, Uchida, Hiroyuki, Ichikawa, Hironobu, Kawakubo, Yuki, Kano, Yukiko, Tsujii, Masatsugu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2015
• Subjects: Autism spectrum disorder; Reliability; Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised Japanese Version; Restricted and repetitive behaviors; Validity; Restricted and repetitive behaviors; Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised Japanese Version; Validity; Reliability; Autism spectrum disorder
• ISSN: 1750-9467; 1878-0237
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2015.01.002

•RBS-R-J showed good reliability, diagnostic validity, and convergent validity.•RBS-R-J distinguished between low-functioning ASD and intellectual disabilities.•RBS-R-J distinguished between low-functioning ASD and high-functioning ASD.•It is a reliable, valid instrument for use in clinical and research settings. Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) constitute a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) is a widely used questionnaire administered by parents or caregivers to assess RRBs in individuals with ASD. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the RBS-R Japanese Version (RBS-R-J). The ASD and non-ASD groups comprised 274 and 36 participants, respectively. We examined corrected item-total correlation, Cronbach's alpha, and RBS-R-J scores of different diagnostic groups, as well as correlations between RBS-R-J scores and intelligence quotient (IQ), autistic symptoms, adaptive/maladaptive functioning, aberrant behaviors, and sensory processing. All items showed moderate corrected item-total correlations. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was .93. We found significant differences in the mean RBS-R-J scores of the low-functioning ASD group and the intellectual disabilities group, and of low-functioning and high-functioning ASD groups. RBS-R-J scores negatively correlated with IQ and scores on the Sensory Profile (Japanese version) and Adaptive Behavior Composite of the Maladaptive Behavior Index of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition (VABS-II; Japanese version), but positively correlated with scores on the peak and current symptoms subscales of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Autism Society Japan Rating Scale, the VABS-II, and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (Japanese version). From these results, we conclude that RBS-R-J showed good reliability, diagnostic validity, and convergent validity, indicating that it is a reliable, valid instrument for use among ASD individuals in clinical and research settings.