Stability of the adjustment scales for children and adolescents

• Published in: Psychology in the schools Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 217 - 227
• Main Authors: Canivez, Gary L., Perry, Amanda R., Weller, Elizabeth M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.05.2001; Wiley
• Subjects: Adjustment (to Environment); Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents; Adolescents; Behavior Patterns; Behavior Rating Scales; Biological and medical sciences; Children; Elementary Secondary Education; Medical sciences; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; School Psychology; Techniques and methods; Test Reliability; Human; Preschool age; School age; Evaluation scale; Adolescent; Psychopathology; Test reliability; Child; Intertrial interval; Preadolescent; Adaptation
• ISSN: 0033-3085; 1520-6807
• DOI: 10.1002/pits.1012

Investigation of the short‐term (90‐day) stability of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents is reported for 124 randomly selected children in grades ranging from kindergarten to grade 12. Significant test‐retest stability coefficients were obtained and mean differences across the retest interval did not exceed .8 raw score points. The Solitary Aggressive‐Impulsive, Diffident, and Lethargic/Hypoactive syndromes and the global Underactivity scale showed significant raw score and T score changes across the retest interval, but the effect strengths were small. Syndromic Profile Classifications and Discriminant Classifications were also significantly consistent across the retest interval. Results were similar to those obtained in other stability studies of teacher report behavior rating scales. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.