Reliability and Validity Evidenc for the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS) when used in Rural Homes
Open Access
Author:
Wollersheim, Sarah Anne
Graduate Program:
School Psychology
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
October 11, 2012
Committee Members:
James Clyde Diperna, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor Shirley Andrea Woika, Committee Member Mark T Greenberg, Committee Member Thomas W Farmer, Committee Member
Keywords:
environmental chaos household chaos Family Life Project Confusion Hubbub and Order Scale Reliability Validity
Abstract:
The purpose of the current study was to examine reliability and validity of scores from the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS; Matheny, Wachs, Ludwig, & Phillips, 1995). Participants included 1,292 rural families drawn from a larger longitudinal study, the Family Life Project (Vernon-Feagans, Cox, & the Family Life Project Key Investigators, in press). Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFAs) were conducted to examine the structural validity of the CHAOS. Results of these analyses indicated that there was no clear best-fitting model for the data, and not all items were equivalent across income groups. In addition, a repeated measures 2 x 2 ANOVA indicated that CHAOS scores were higher at a follow-up home visit. Regression analysis indicated that the primary caregiver’s partner living in the household, number of recent job changes, and number of hours of TV per week were significantly related to CHAOS scores for both the low and middle/high income group, and the overall model accounted for 33% of the variance in CHAOS scores across scores. Because psychometric evidence for scores from the CHAOS was mixed, use of the CHAOS should be considered with caution.
