Psychometrics of a Self-Report Version of the Child and Adolescent Dispositions Scale

Abstract

Lahey and Waldman (2003, 2005) proposed a model in which three dispositions—sympathetic response to others; negative emotional response to threat, frustration, and loss; and positive response to novelty and risk—transact with the environment to influence risk for conduct disorder (CD). To test this model, the Child and Adolescent Dispositions Scale (CADS) was developed to measure these dispositions using parent ratings of the child. Here we report psychometric evaluations of a parallel youth self-report version (CADS-Y). Exploratory factor analysis of CADS-Y items among 832 9- to 17-year-olds yielded a 3-factor structure that was consistent with the model and invariant across sex and informants. In 1,582 pairs of 9- to 17-year-old twins, confirmatory factor analyses supported the CADS-Y 3-factor model. Each CADS-Y dimension was associated with CD and related personality dimensions as predicted.

Supported by National Institute of Mental Health grants U01-MH54281, R01-MH53554, and R01-MH59111 to Benjamin B. Lahey and K01-MH01818 to Irwin D. Waldman.

The senior author is grateful to Jon Shaw for engendering an interest many years ago in the key role played by empathy in the development of child and adolescent psychopathology.

Notes

Note. Eigenvalues from parallel analyses of random data and actual eigenvalues of the reduced correlation matrix and proportion of variance explained by each of the first 10 factors in the principal factor analyses of 48 items from the Child and Adolescent Dispositions Scale items for 832 self-report ratings of 9- through 71-year-olds (434 girls and 398 boys) in Study 1 (Georgia Health and Behavior Study).

Note. All factor loadings of .30 or greater are shown; loadings of .40 or greater are in bold; n = 832 from Study 1 (Georgia Health and Behavior Study).

Note. N = 830 for “twin 1” and N = 832 for “twin 2”; all model Satorra-Bentler χ² tests significant at p < .0001. One factor = Negative Emotionality + Prosociality + Daring; two factors = Negative Emotionality, Prosociality + Daring; three factors = Negative Emotionality, Prosociality, and Daring; NFI = normed fit index; RMR = root mean square residual; AIC = Akaike's Information Criterion; RMSEA = root mean square error of approximation.

∗p < .05.

Note. ICCs p < .0001. ICC = intraclass correlation.

^a N = 194.

^b N = 790.

Note. All coefficients p < .0001; all joint multiple regression models controlled for the two other socioemotional dispositions, age, sex, and race–ethnicity. Pseudo R ² is defined in the Data Analysis section for Study 1.

Note. Dimension scores are the means of all nonmissing items (rated 0–3) that load uniquely on each dimension.