Factor Structure, Internal Consistency, and Interrater Reliability of the Early Childhood Behavior Problem Screening Scale

Authors

J. Ron Nelson, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Michael Epstein, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Annette Griffith, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
John Hopper, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Date of this Version

2007

Comments

Published in Topics in Early Childhood Special Education 27:3 (2007), pp. 148–154; doi: 10.1177/02711214070270030501 Published by Hammill Institute on Disabilities & Sage Publications. Used by permission. http://tec.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/3/148

Abstract

The current study examined the initial psychometrics of the Early Childhood Behavior Problem Screening Scale (ECBPSS; Epstein & Nelson, 2006), namely the factor structure and associated internal consistency of factor items of parent and teacher versions as well as interrater reliability. Data came from samples of preschool- and kindergarten- age children from 2 medium-size cities in the U.S. midwest. Separate analyses of the parent and teacher data revealed internalizing and externalizing factors, with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from .83 to .95. Parent and teacher interrater reliability coefficients ranged from .32 to .37. Overall, the results suggest that the 12-item ECBPSS Parent and Teacher forms may be useful for screening young children who may be at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders.