Are There Stable Factors in Preadolescent Girls’ Externalizing Behaviors?

• Published in: Journal of abnormal child psychology Vol. 37; no. 6; pp. 777 - 791
• Main Authors: Loeber, Rolf, Pardini, Dustin A., Hipwell, Alison, Stouthamer-Loeber, Magda, Keenan, Kate, Sembower, Mark A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.08.2009; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescents; Age Differences; Age Factors; Aggression; Aggressiveness; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Attention deficits; Attention Span; Behavior Disorders; Behavior Problems; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Black or African American - psychology; Black or African American - statistics & numerical data; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child Behavior; Child Behavior - psychology; Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Child Behavior Disorders - epidemiology; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child clinical studies; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Cohort Studies; Conduct disorder; Conduct disorders; Confirmatory factor analysis; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual; Disruptive behaviour; Emotional Response; Factor Analysis; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Factor Structure; Faculty; Female; Females; Girls; Humans; Hyperactivity; Impulsivity; Internal-External Control; Interpersonal Relationship; Interview, Psychological; Longitudinal Studies; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders; Neurosciences; Older children; Parent Attitudes; Parents; Pennsylvania - epidemiology; Preadolescents; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public Health; Ratings & rankings; Social behavior disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teacher Attitudes; Teachers; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; White People - psychology; White People - statistics & numerical data; Pennsylvania; Conduct Disorder; Oppositional Defiant Disorder; Teacher Rating; Relational Aggression; Disruptive Behavior; Human; Impulsivity; Parent rating; Oppositional defiant disorder; Hyperactivity; Risk factor; Conduct disorder; Female; Teacher rating; Social behavior disorder; Preadolescent; Behavioral disorder
• ISSN: 0091-0627; 2730-7166; 1573-2835; 1573-2835; 2730-7174
• DOI: 10.1007/s10802-009-9320-6

Relatively little is known about the factor structure of disruptive behavior among preadolescent girls. The present study reports on exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of disruptive girl behavior over four successive data waves as rated by parents and teachers in a large, representative community sample of girls ( N  = 2,451). Five factors were identified from parent ratings (oppositional behavior/conduct problems, inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, relational aggression, and callous-unemotional behaviors), and four factors were identified derived from teacher ratings (oppositional behavior/conduct problems/callous-unemotional behaviors, inattention, hyperactivityimpulsivity, and relational aggression). There was a high degree of consistency of items loading on equivalent factors across parent and teacher ratings. Year-to-year stability of factors between ages five and 12 was high for parent ratings (ICC = 0.70 to 0.88), and slightly lower for teacher ratings (ICC = 0.56 to 0.83). These findings are discussed in terms of possible adjustment to the criteria for children's disruptive behavior disorders found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders.