Using the ASEBA CBCL to assess Callous Unemotional traits in ...

Using the ASEBA CBCL to assess Callous Unemotional traits in early
childhood: Evidence on validity and reliability in Spanish pre-schoolers
Authors:
Eva Penelo, Roser Granero, Lourdes Ezpeleta
Presenting Author:
Eva Penelo
Affiliation:
Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)
Unitat d’Epidemiologia i de Diagnòstic en Psicopatologia del Desenvolupament,
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)
Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
Barcelona (Spain)
Abstract:
Background: Validation studies of instruments measuring Callous Unemotional
(CU) traits in conjunction with other disruptive behaviours in pre-schoolers are scarce.
Aims: To provide evidence on validity and reliability of a measure of CU traits
using items from the parents’ preschool form of the Child Behaviour Checklist 1½-5
(CBCL 1½-5 ; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000), based on the previous work of Willoughby,
Waschbusch, Moore, and Propper (2011).
Method: A total of 622 3-year-old children of a community sample were
followed up at ages 4 and 5. Parents completed the 99-item CBCL 1½-5 and the Strength
and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ 3-4 ; Goodman, 1997) and teachers answered the
Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU; Frick, 2004). For CBCL-CU measure,
seven items were selected attending to its content; however, one of them showed an
extreme endorsement and therefore only six items were included in subsequent
analysis. In addition, six items each were drawn from the DSM referenced Attention
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Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) scales
of CBCL 1½-5 .
Results: Confirmatory factor analysis with repeated measures at ages 3, 4, and
5 of the 18 CBCL 1½-5 items selected showed that CU items could be distinguished from
ADHD and ODD items (RMSEA = .039, CFI = .902, TLI = .892), although the three factors
were highly correlated (r ranging from .62 to .79). This 3-factor model yielded
statistically significant factor loadings (p ≤ .01) with standardized values above .30.
Internal consistency for all scale scores was satisfactory at the three ages considered
(omega ≥ .77). The one-year stability of CBCL-CU (r ≥ .56) was comparable to that of
ADHD and ODD (r ≥ .65), whereas the two-year stability of CBCL-CU (r = .39) was lower
than for ADHD and ODD scale scores (r ≥ .56). As expected, convergent validity
between CU, ADHD and ODD CBCL 1½-5 scores rated by parents and ICU scale scores
rated by teachers was moderated for ICU-callousness and ICU-uncaring (r between .18
and .32) and null for ICU-unemotional (r ≤ .13). CBCL-CU scores were related to SDQconduct
problems (r ≥ .32) and SDQ- hyperactivity (r ≥ .35). Regarding validity evidence
based on an external criterion, CU scores satisfactorily discriminated between the
presence and absence of oppositional and/or conduct DSM-IV disorder (OR ≥ 1.53,
AUC ≥ .71).
Conclusion: A CU dimension was identified based on items of CBCL 1½-5 with
appropriate psychometric properties for use in early childhood. This measure derived
from an instrument that is widely used and can be helpful for screening purposes for
the assessment of CU traits.
Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2000). Manual for the ASEBA preschool-age forms & profiles.
Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.
Frick, P. J. (2004). The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits. Retrieved from
http://psyc.uno.edu/Frick%20Lab/ICU.html
Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581-586.
Willoughby, M. T., Waschbusch, D. A., Moore, G. A., & Propper, C. B. (2011). Using the ASEBA to screen
for Callous Unemotional traits in early childhood: Factor structure, temporal stability, and
utility. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 33, 19-30.
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