Skip to main content
Log in

A Multivariate Analysis of the Revised Conners' Teacher Rating Scale with Low-Income, Urban Preschool Children

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present investigation addressed the utility of the revised Conners' Teachers Rating Scale (CTRS-28) with low-income urban preschool children. CTRS-28 ratings for a large sample of preschool children from an urban Head Start program were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Analyses yielded a 3-factor structure: Conduct problems, Hyperactivity, and Passivity. Further analyses cross-validated this structure for males and females and supported its integrity. Multimethod, multisource validity analyses substantiated the CTRS-28 dimensions. The Play Disruption factor of the parent and teacher Penn Interactive Peer Play Scales (PIPPS) provided convergent validity for the Conduct and Hyperactivity factors of the CTRS-28, whereas the Play Interaction factor revealed divergent validity. The Play Disconnection factor of the PIPPS validated the CTRS-28 Passivity factor. The Q-Sort Emotional Regulation scale provided divergent validity for the Conduct and Hyperactivity factors and likewise the Q-Sort Autonomy scale provided divergent validity for the Passivity factor. Age and sex differences were assessed across the 3 factors of the derived preschool structure. A main effect was found for sex and age indicating that boys displayed higher levels of Hyperactivity and Passivity problems than girls did. Similarly, 4-year-old children demonstrated higher levels of Passivity problems than did 5-year-old children.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Achenbach, T. M., Edelbrock, C., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Empirically based assessment of the behavioral/emotional problems of 2–and 3–year-old children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 15, 629–650.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychological Association. (1992). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychologist, 47, 1597–1611.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderberg, M. R. (1973). Cluster analysis for applications. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Block, J. H., & Block, J. (1980). The role of ego-control and egoresiliency in the organization of behavior. In Collins W. A., (Ed.), Development of cognition, affect, and social relations: The Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology (Vol. 13, pp. 39–101). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandenburg, N. A., Friedman, R. M., & Silver, S. E. (1990). The epidemiology of childhood psychiatric disorders: Prevalence findings from recent studies. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 76–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, S. B. (1997). Behavior problems in preschool children: Developmental and family issues. Advances in Clinical Child Psychology, 19, 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, S. B., & Breaux, A. M. (1983). Maternal ratings of activity level and symptomatic behavior in a non-clinical sample of young children. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 8, 73–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D., & Lynch, M. (1993). Toward an ecological/transactional model of community violence and child maltreatment: Consequences for children's development. Psychiatry, 56, 96–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D., & Richters, J. E. (1993). Developmental considerations in the investigation of conduct disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 331–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coie, J. D., Dodge, K. A., & Kupersmidt, J. B. (1990). Peer groups behavior and social status. In Aster S. R., & Coie J. D., (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood (pp. 17–59). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coll, C. G., Lamberty, G., Jenkins, R., McAdoo, H., Crnic, K., Wasik, B., & Vazquez Garcia, H. (1996). An integrative model for the study of developmental competencies in minority children. Child Development, 67, 1891–1914.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conners, C. K. (1990). Conners' Rating Scales Manual. New York: Multi-Health Systems, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coolahan, K. C. (1997). Empirical relationships among parenting styles, determinants of parenting, and children's school readiness in urban Head Start families. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania.

  • Coolahan, C., Fantuzzo, J., Mendez, J., & McDermott, P. (in press). Interactive peer play and readiness to learn: relationships between play competencies and classroom learning behaviors and conduct. Journal of Educational Psychology.

  • Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., & Bates, J. E. (1994). Socialization mediators of the relation between socioeconomic status and child conduct problems. Child Development, 65, 649–665.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J., Coolahan, K. C., Mendez, J. L., McDermott, P. A., & Sutton-Smith, B. (1998). Contextually-relevant validation of constructs of peer play with African American Head Start children: Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 13(3), 411–431.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J., & Hampton, V. (in press). Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale: A Parent and teacher rating system for young children. In Gitlin-Weiner K., Sandgrund A., & Schaefer C. (Eds.), Play diagnosis and assessment. New York: Wiley.

  • Fantuzzo, J. W., McDermott, P., Manz, P. H., Hampton, V., & Burdick, N. (1996). The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence for Young Children: Does it work with low-income urban children? Child Development, 67, 1071–1084.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J., Mendez, J., & Tighe, E. (1998). Parental assessment of peer play: Developmental and validation of the parent version of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 13(4), 655–672.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J., Stoltzfus, J., Noone, M., Buchanan, H., Balraj, V., Turner, C., & Mosca, S. (in press). An empirical assessment of the special needs referral process in Head Start for children with emotional and behavioral problems. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

  • Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., & Lawton, J. M. (1990). Vulnerability to childhood problems and family social background. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 31, 1145–1160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorsuch, R. L. (1983). Factor Analysis (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guadagnoli, E., & Velicer, W. (1991). A comparison of pattern matching indices. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 23(2), 323–343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guilford, J. P. (1956). Psychometric methods. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guralnick, M. J. (1993). Developmentally appropriate practice in the assessment and intervention of children's peer relations. Topic in Early Childhood Special Education, 13, 344–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, C. W., DeWolf, D. M., Wozniak, P., & Burts, D. C. (1992). Maternal and paternal disciplinary styles: Rations with preschoolers' playground behavioral orientations and peer status. Child Development, 63, 879–892.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, C. H., Olsen, S. F., Robinson, C. C., & Mandleco, B. L. (1997). The development of social and communicative competence in childhood: Review and a model of personal, familial, and extrafamilial processes. Communication Yearbook, 20, 305–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments (IDEA) of 1997, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.

  • Kagen, S. L., Moore, E., & Bredekamp, S. (Eds.). (1995). Reconsidering children's early development and learning: Toward common views and vocabulary. Washington, DC: National Education Goals Panel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kline, P. (1993). The handbook of psychological testing. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • LaFreniere, P. J., & Dumas, J. E. (1996). Social competence and behavior evaluation in children ages 3 to 6 years: The short form (SCBE-30). Psychological Assessment, 8(4), 369–377.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavigne, J. V., Gibbons, R. D., Christoffel, K. K., Arend, R., Rosenbaum, D., Binns, H., Dawson, N., Sobel, H., & Isaacs, C. (1996). Prevalence rates and correlates of psychiatric disorders among preschool children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 204–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lutz, M. N. (1999). Contextually relevant assessment of the emotional and behavioral adjustment of Head Start children. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania.

  • Mallory, B. L., & Kerns, G. M. (1988). Consequences of categorical labeling of preschool children. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 8, 39–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLoyd, V. S. (1985). Are toys (just) toys? Exploring their effects on pretend play of low-income preschoolers. In Spencer M. B., Brookins G. K., & Allen W. R., (Eds.), Beginnings: The social and affective development of black children (pp. 201–214). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLoyd, V. C. (1998). Socioeconomic disadvantage and child development. American Psychologist, 53(2), 185–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendez, J. L. (1999). Empirical relationships between developmental competencies and peer play behaviors with African American Head Start children. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania.

  • Miller, L. S., Koplewicz, H. S., & Klein, R. G. (1997). Teacher ratings of hyperactivity, inattention, and conduct problems in preschoolers. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 25, 113–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, C. J., Kupersmidt, J. B., & Vaden, N. A. (1990). Income level, gender, ethnicity, and household composition as predictors of children's school-based competence. Child Development, 61, 485–494.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C., & Caldwell, C. B. (1990). Stability of externalizing symptoms from kindergarten to first grade and factors related to instability. Development and Psychopathology, 2, 247–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piotrowski, C. S., Collins, R. C., Knitzer, J., & Robinson, R. (1994). Strengthening mental health services in Head Start. American Psychologist, 49, 133–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prior, M., Smart, D., Sanson, A., & Oberklaid, F. (1993). Sex differences in psychological adjustment from infancy to 8 years. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32, 291–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, M. (1998). Psychoeducational assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse children and youth. In Vance H., (Ed.), Psychological assessment of children (pp. 355–384). New York: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, S. L., Rose, S. A., & Feldman, J. F. (1989). Stability of behavior problems in very young children. Development and Psychopathology, 1, 5–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shields, A. M., & Cicchetti, D. (1997). Emotion regulation and autonomy: The development and validation of two new criterion Q-sort scales. Developmental Psychology, 33(6), 906–916.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snook, S. C., & Gorsuch, R. L. (1989). Component analysis versus common factor analysis: A Monte Carlo study. Psychological Bulletin, 106, 148–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sroufe, L. A. (1996). Emotional development: The organization of emotional life in the early years. New York: Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, M. B. (1999). Social and cultural influences on school adjustment: The application of an identity-focused cultural ecological perspective. Wentzel In K., & Berndt T. (Eds.) [Special Issue]. Educational Psychologist, 34(1), 43–57.

  • Takanishi, R., & DeLeon, P. H. (1994). A Head Start for the 21st century. American Psychologist, 49(2), 120–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinberger, L. A., & Starkey, P. (1994). Pretend play by African American children in Head Start. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 9, 327–343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, D. J. (1972). Canonical correlation analysis in counseling psychology research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19(3), 241–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. M., Tataryn, D. J., & Gorsuch, R. L. (1996). Effects of under-and overextraction on principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation. Psychological methods, 1, 354–365.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fantuzzo, J., Grim, S., Mordell, M. et al. A Multivariate Analysis of the Revised Conners' Teacher Rating Scale with Low-Income, Urban Preschool Children. J Abnorm Child Psychol 29, 141–152 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005236113655

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005236113655

Navigation