Abstract
Children diagnosed Conduct Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, or Anxiety Disorder by DSM-III criteria were compared to contrast groups of Physically Disabled and Normal children using the Conners Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS). Discriminant function analyses of the CTRS ratings yielded accurate classification (67% correct) only when Conduct was combined with Attention Deficit and Normals were combined with Physically Disabled. The teacher raters seemed to be describing the children as behaviorally disordered with and without hyperactivity. The data also suggest that Attention Deficit Disorder is part of a broader Conduct Problems dimension.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abikoff, H., Gittelman-Klein, R., & Klein, D. (1977). Validation of a classroom observation code for hyperactive children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 772–783.
Achenbach, T., & Edelbrock, C. (1978). The classification of child psychopathology: A review and analysis of empirical efforts.Psychological Bulletin, 85, 1275–1301.
American Psychiatrie Association. (1980).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author.
Barkley, R. A. (1982). Guidelines for defining hyperactivity in children: Attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity. In B. B. Lahey & A. E. Kazdin (Eds.),Advances in clinical child psychology (Vol. 5, pp. 137–180) New York: Plenum.
Campbell, S. B., Schliefer, M., & Weiss, G. (1978). Continuities in maternal reports and child behaviors over time in hyperactive and comparison groups.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 33–45.
Conners, C. K. (1969). A teacher rating scale for use in drug studies with children.American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 884–888.
Copeland, A. P., & Weissbrod, C. S. (1978). Behavioral correlates of the hyperactivity factor of the Conners Teacher Questionnaire.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 339–343.
Goyette, C. H., Conners, C. K., & Ulrich, R. F. (1978). Normative data on revised Conners Parent and Teacher Rating Scales.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 221–236.
Kendal, P. C., & Brophy, C. (1981). Activity and attentional correlates of teacher ratings of hyperactivity.Journal of Pediatrie Psychology, 6, 451–457.
Klecka, W. R. (1980).Discriminant analysis. Beverly Hills: Sage.
Lahey, B. B., Green, K. D., & Forehand, R. (1980). On the independence of ratings of hyper-activity, conduct problems, and attention deficits in children: A multiple regression analysis.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 566–574.
Nie, N. H., Hull, C. H., Jenkins, J. G., Steinbrenner, K., & Bent, D. H. (1975).Statistical package for the social sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Prinz, R. J., Connor, P. A., & Wilson, R. J. (1981). Hyperactive and aggresive behavior in childhood: Intertwined dimensions.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 9, 191–202.
Quay, H. C. (1979). Classification. In H. C. Quay & J. S. Werry (Eds.),Psychopathological disorders of childhood (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.
Sandberg, S. T., Rutter, M., & Taylor, E. (1978). Hyperkinetic disorders in psychiatrie clinic attenders.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 20, 279–299.
Sandberg, S. T., Wieselberg, M., & Shaffer, D. (1980). Hyperkinetic and conduct problem children in a primary school population: Some epidemiological considerations.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 21, 293–311.
Shaffer, D., & Greenhill, L. (1979). A critical note on the predictive validity of the “hyperkinetic syndrome.”Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 20, 61–72.
Trites, R. L., & Laprade, K. (1983). Evidence for an independent syndrome of hyperactivity.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 24, 573–586.
Werry, J. S., Sprague, R. L., & Cohen, M. N. (1978). Conners Teacher Rating Scale for use in drug studies with children — An empirical study.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 3, 217–241.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was part of a dissertation submitted to the Graduate School, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. This research was supported in part by Maternal and Child Health Grant No. 424 awarded to the UCLA Neuropsychiatrie Institute. The authors express their appreciation to Alexander Tymchuck, Ruth Lambert, Robert Oldham, Arlene Yoshima, Augustus Adams, Deborah Stez, and Carol McDermott.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stein, M.A., O'Donnell, J.P. Classification of children's behavior problems: Clinical and quantitative approaches. J Abnorm Child Psychol 13, 269–279 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00910647
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00910647