Searchable Inventory of Instruments
Assessing Violent Behavior and Related Constructs in Children and Adolescents


Behavior Dimensions Scale

General Information

The Behavior Dimensions Scale (BDS), developed to aid in diagnosis, placement, and planning for children and adolescents demonstrating significant behavior problems that interfered with success in school and home environments, is available in a School Version (99 items) and Home Version (108 items). Information below pertains to the School Version.

Number of Versions: 2
Version: School Version
Author(s): S. B. McCarney
Date of Publication: 1995
Material(s) Needed for Test: Rating form, technical manual
Manual: Available
Time to Administer: 30 minutes
Charge for one form or kit:  Yes

Purpose and Nature of Test

Construct(s) Measured:
Hyperactivity, Conduct problems
Population for which designed:
Age Range: 5 through 15 years old
Method of Administration: Individual
Source of Information: Teacher
Subtests and Scores:
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Avoidant Personality Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Episode
Number of Items: 99
Type of Scale: Frequency referenced Likert-type scale

Technical Evaluation

Norms: 

Sample Size: 4,323
Population: Demographic characteristics of the 22 state standardization sample represented national percentages of gender, residence, ethnicity, geographic area, and occupation of parents.
Culture/ethnicity: Reported in manual.
SES Level: Occupation of parents reported in manual.

Reliability: 

Psychometric information: Provided for Full Scales. Provided for Subscales. 
The range of Test-Retest Value:  0.77 to 0.76
The range of Inter-rater reliability:  0.77 to 0.00
The range of Internal consistency:  0.82 to 0.97

Validity: 

 Criterion validity was assessed and found to be acceptable.

Practical Evaluation

Scoring Procedure: Manual and Computer Scoring
Examiner Qualifications and Training Required: None
Permission Required to Use Instrument: No
If yes, by whom: N/A

Notes

Original Reference(s): McCarney, S. B. (1995). Behavior Dimensions Scale: School version, technical manual. Columbia, MO: Hawthorne Educational Services.
Other: Scale is also available in Spanish.
 Reviewed in the Buros Institute, Mental Measurements Yearbook. http://www.unl.edu/buros/

Contact

Organization: Hawthorne Educational Services, Inc.
Address: 800 Gray Oak Drive
City: Columbia
State: MO
Zip: 65201
Phone: (800) 542-1673
Fax: (800) 442-9509
E-mail: info@hes-inc.com
Website: http://www.hes-inc.com/hes.cgi

Last updated by Violence Institute of New Jersey:  August 2006


Violence Institute of New Jersey at UMDNJ