Observational Assessment of Preschool Disruptive Behavior, Part II: validity of the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS).
OBJECTIVE
To examine the validity of the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS), a new observational method for assessing preschool disruptive behavior.


METHODS
A total of 327 behaviorally heterogeneous preschoolers from low-income environments comprised the validation sample. Parent and teacher reports were used to identify children with clinically significant disruptive behavior. The DB-DOS assessed observed disruptive behavior in two domains, problems in Behavioral Regulation and Anger Modulation, across three interactional contexts: Examiner Engaged, Examiner Busy, and Parent. Convergent and divergent validity of the DB-DOS were tested in relation to parent and teacher reports and independently observed behavior. Clinical validity was tested in terms of criterion and incremental validity of the DB-DOS for discriminating disruptive behavior status and impairment, concurrently and longitudinally.


RESULTS
DB-DOS scores were significantly associated with reported and independently observed behavior in a theoretically meaningful fashion. Scores from both DB-DOS domains and each of the three DB-DOS contexts contributed uniquely to discrimination of disruptive behavior status, concurrently and predictively. Observed behavior on the DB-DOS also contributed incrementally to prediction of impairment over time, beyond variance explained by meeting DSM-IV disruptive behavior disorder symptom criteria based on parent/teacher report.


CONCLUSIONS
The multidomain, multicontext approach of the DB-DOS is a valid method for direct assessment of preschool disruptive behavior. This approach shows promise for enhancing accurate identification of clinically significant disruptive behavior in young children and for characterizing subtypes in a manner that can directly inform etiological and intervention research.
Wakschlag
Lauren S
LS
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.. Electronic address: lwakschlag@psych.uic.edu.
Briggs-Gowan
Margaret J
MJ
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
Hill
Carri
C
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
Danis
Barbara
B
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
Leventhal
Bennett L
BL
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
Keenan
Kate
K
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
Egger
Helen L
HL
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
Cicchetti
Domenic
D
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
Burns
James
J
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
Carter
Alice S
AS
Drs. Wakschlag, Hill, Danis, and Leventhal and Mr. Burns are with the Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Keenan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago; Dr. Egger is with the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University; Dr. Cicchetti is with Yale University; Dr. Briggs-Gowan is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut; and Dr. Carter is with the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts.
D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012931:Social Environment