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Determinants of Multiple Informant Agreement on Child and Adolescent Behavior

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This study examined whether characteristics of behavioral items reported by parent and child are related to parent–child agreement. Data were collected from 20 judges rating 59 child behaviors on 11 dimensions hypothesized to affect parent–child agreement. Data from 675 parent–child dyads (85% female caregivers, 62% male children, aged 7–17) reporting on 59 child behaviors were used to examine agreement. Behavior characteristics accounted for 43% of variability in parent–child agreement. Three components, saliency to the parent, saliency to the child, and observability/willingness to report, contributed uniquely to prediction of agreement.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by the U.S. Army Health Services Command (DA-DA10–89-C-0013) as a subcontract from the North Carolina Department of Human Resources/Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. The author wishes to thank Dr. Leonard Bickman who provided access to this rich data set, Dr. Warren Lambert who provided ongoing statistical support, Meghan Pelletier for assisting in preparation of this paper, and the anonymous reviewers who offered numerous helpful suggestions.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA

    Marc Stuart Karver

  2. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, PCD 4118G, Tampa, 33620, Florida, USA

    Marc Stuart Karver

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Karver, M.S. Determinants of Multiple Informant Agreement on Child and Adolescent Behavior. J Abnorm Child Psychol 34, 242–253 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-005-9015-6

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