Date of Award

Fall 12-1-2002

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Jerome A. Curry

Second Advisor

Douglas Herrmann

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the Behavior Dimensions Scale (BDS; McCamey, 1995a; 1995b) in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Forty-eight children, ages 6 to 11 years old, referred to a university-based psychology clinic for evaluation of ADHD, were participants in the study. Parents and teachers of children completed the parent and teacher rating forms of the BDS as well as the Achenbach parent and teacher rating forms (Child Behavior Checklist [CBCL] and Teacher's Report Form [TRF]; Achenbach, 1991a; 1991b) as part of a larger assessment battery. Results suggest that the ADHD subscales of the BDS compare favorably with similar Achenbach subscales as a screening measure for ADHD. Mean scores were significantly higher for the ADHD Inattentive Type on the home and school versions of the BDS Hyperactive/Impulsive scales, suggesting that the BDS was useful in distinguishing between subtypes of ADHD based on the pattern of scores. Discriminant analysis indicated neither the selected BDS subscales nor the CBCL/TRF subscales entered into the discriminant equation, suggesting that these scales did not significantly predict ADHD/No-ADHD group membership. Neither the selected BDS scales, nor selected CBCL/TRF scales were found to discriminate between subtypes of ADHD at a level above chance. Significant correlations between the selected subscales of the BDS and Achenbach indicated good convergent validity for the BDS scales. Correlations between parent and teacher ratings on the BDS were lower than expected. The results of the study provide valuable information regarding the relative advantages and limitations of the BDS-H and BDS-S in the assessment of ADHD.

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