The Measurement of Self-Control in Children: Validation of the Self-Control Rating Scale

The criterion-related validity of the Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS), a measure of generalized cognitive behavioral self-control in children, was evaluated using a population of children referred for mental health services (distressed group) and children attending medical clinics with no history o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pediatric psychology 1984-06, Vol.9 (2), p.165-175
Main Authors: Robin, Arthur L., Fischel, Janet E., Brown, Kevin E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology
behavioral-assessment
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis
Child Behavior Disorders - psychology
Child, Preschool
discriminant validity
Female
Humans
impulsivity
Male
Medical sciences
Nosology. Terminology. Diagnostic criteria
Psychological Tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychometrics
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
self-control
Techniques and methods
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The criterion-related validity of the Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS), a measure of generalized cognitive behavioral self-control in children, was evaluated using a population of children referred for mental health services (distressed group) and children attending medical clinics with no history of mental health contact (nondistressed group). Parents of a predominantly lower socioeconomic sample of children completed the SCRS prior to the clinic appointment for their child. Children in the distressed group received significantly poorer self-control ratings than children in the nondistressed group. Males received poorer ratings than females, and self-control was most problematic for a subset of children identified as hyperactive. Based on the predictor variables (SCRS score, sex, and age) obtained from a first study sample, 76% of children in a second sample were accurately classified as distressed or nondistressed. These results support the criterion-related validity of the SCRS, suggest the value of the parent rater as informant, and confirm the utility of this rating scale as a brief, easily administered tool in pediatric psychological investigation of self-control.
ISSN:0146-8693
1465-735X
DOI:10.1093/jpepsy/9.2.165