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Optimal informants on childhood disruptive behaviors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Rolf Loeber ,
Stephanie M. Green ,
Benjamin B. Lahey  and
Magda Stouthamer-Loeber
Rolf Loeber
Affiliation:
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Stephanie M. Green
Affiliation:
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Benjamin B. Lahey
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Georgia
Magda Stouthamer-Loeber
Affiliation:
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
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Abstract

The question of which informant on childhood behavior disorders is the most useful an'd valid for which disorders influences diagnostic accuracy and research findings. The present study focuses on 177 boys, most of whom had been referred to outpatient services because they were displaying disruptive behavior. The boys, their mothers, and their teachers responded to a psychiatric interview concerning the boys' behavior. Analyses of conditional agreements between informants show that children, as compared with mothers and teachers, were less adequate informants on their own hyperactivity and inattentiveness. The same applied to children's reports of their own oppositional behavior. In contrast, children's reports of their conduct problems tended to complement the reports by adults. Although informants agreed significantly on the presence of many disruptive child behaviors, there were several on which they did not agree, particularly in the realm of hyperactivity/inattentiveness. There were few age differences between older and younger boys in this sample of 7- to 12-year-olds. The implications of the findings for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 1 , Issue 4 , October 1989 , pp. 317 - 337
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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