General Information

The Adolescent Problems Inventory is a role-playing measure designed to assess male adolescents' strengths and weaknesses in coping with specific personal and interpersonal problem situations.

Number of Versions:	1
Version:	Adolescent Problems Inventory
Author(s):	Barbara J. Freedman
Date of Publication:	1974
Material(s) Needed for Test:	Instrument, Tape Recorder
Manual:	Available
Time to Administer:	60 minutes
Charge for one form or kit:	Yes

Purpose and Nature of Test

Construct(s) Measured:	Conduct problems, Social skills
Population for which designed:	Age Range: 13 through 17 years old
Method of Administration:	Individual
Source of Information:	Self
Subtests and Scores:	No scales
Number of Items:	44
Type of Scale:	Open response

Technical Evaluation

Norms: 

Sample Size:	60
Population:	3 Groups: 1) Delinquents were all residents of a state correctional institution for juvenile offenders; 2) The Good Citizens group were attending a public school and were selected by the schools' guidance counselors, who were asked to nominate individuals who were law-abiding, mature, responsible, able to get along well with peers and adults, and involved either in extracurricular activities or after school jobs and; 3) The Leaders group were also public high school students selected on the basis of guidance counselor's nominations and were the editors of the school newspaper and yearbook, student senators, class presidents, and star athletes.
Culture/ethnicity:	African-American, Caucasian
SES Level:	Not reported by author(s).

Reliability: 

Psychometric information:	Provided for Full Scales.
The range of Test-Retest Value:	0.90
The range of Inter-rater reliability:	0.83
The range of Internal consistency:	Not assessed

Validity: 

 Criterion validity was assessed and found to be acceptable.

Practical Evaluation

Scoring Procedure:	Manual Scoring
Examiner Qualifications and Training Required:	None
Permission Required to Use Instrument:	Yes
If yes, by whom:	Richard M. McFall

Notes

Original Reference(s):	Freedman, B. J. (1974). A social-behavioral analysis of skills deficits in delinquent and non-delinquent adolescent boys. Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Other Reference(s):	Freedman, B. J., Rosenthal, L., Donahoe, C. P., Schlundt, D. G., & McFall, R. M. (1978). A social-behavioral analysis of skill deficits in delinquent and nondelinquent adolescent boys. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46 (6), 1448-1462. Hunter, N., & Kelley, C. K. (1986). Examination of the validity of the adolescent problems inventory among incarcerated juvenile delinquents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54 (3), 301-302. Fondacaro, M. R., & Heller, K. (1990). Attributional style in aggressive adolescent boys. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 18 (1), 75-89. Palmer, E. J., & Hollin, C. R. (1996). Assessing adolescent problems: An overview of the adolescent problems inventory. Journal of Adolescence, 19, 347-354. Palmer, E. J., & Hollin, C. R. (1999). Social competence and sociomoral reasoning in young offenders. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 13, 79-87.
Other:	Scale is published in Freedman (1974) dissertation. This instrument's use is approved only for the purposes of research. It has not been approved for diagnosis, assessment of treatment response, or decision making about treatment.

Contact

Name:	Richard M. McFall
Organization:	Indiana University
Address:	Department of Psychology, 1101 E. 10th Street Campus: Psychology 124
City:	Bloomington
State:	IN
Zip:	47405-7007
Phone:	(812) 855-0349
Fax:	(812) 855-9705
E-mail:	mcfall@indiana.edu
Website:	http://www.indiana.edu/~psych/general_info.html
Other:	Barbara Freedman Brigham, Department of Psychiatry, Dean Medical Center, 1313 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI, 53715.

Last updated by Violence Institute of New Jersey:  July 2006