A Structural Validity Study of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents - Home (ASCA-H)

Open Access
- Author:
- Coffey, Debra Young
- Graduate Program:
- School Psychology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- March 01, 2006
- Committee Members:
- Marley W Watkins, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Sherry Erhard Corneal, Committee Member
Kathy L Ruhl, Committee Member
Barbara Schaefer, Committee Member - Keywords:
- behavior rating scales
exploratory factor analysis
scale development
parent ratings - Abstract:
- Use of behavior rating scales has been called a “best practice” in the assessment of children’s emotional and behavioral problems. The technology of behavior rating scales has expanded widely in recent years, along with their popularity and availability. The Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents – Home (ASCA-H) is an objective rating instrument currently in development. It was designed to be completed by a parent/caregiver as a counterpart to the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA), a teacher-completed scale. The ASCA built upon limitations of traditional behavior rating scales with a unique format and multisituational approach. Rather than judge the frequency or intensity of a symptom as on traditional rating scales, a respondent is asked to indicate which behaviors characterize a child’s functioning with respect to specific situations on the ASCA. The ASCA defines psychopathology through expression of problem behaviors across multiple contexts and situations. As evidenced by the collective research on the ASCA, the cross-situational approach advocated by McDermott and colleagues has been effectively applied to a teacher-rating instrument, yet an unanswered question is whether this approach can also be applied to a parent version. The purpose of the present study was to examine the underlying dimensions and structural validity of the ASCA-H. Parents of 426 students ranging in age from 5 to 14 participated. Parent responses were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis to determine the dimensionality of the ASCA-H. A four-factor oblique solution generated through principal axis analysis best represented the data. Four first-order factors consistently emerged across rotation methods and number of factors extracted. Higher-order exploratory analysis revealed two overarching dimensions of behavior. Factors were discussed in relation to comparable dimensions of the ASCA and other current behavior rating scales. Results of this study provided preliminary information regarding the latent structure of the ASCA-H. Implications for scale development and future research were presented.