Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory

Abstract

The Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory (CBI) is a comprehensive, 139-item psychiatric screening tool developed by Eugene I. Burdock and Anne S. Hardesty in 1964. Designed for use with children aged 1 to 12 years, the CBI utilizes a simple yes/no (True/Not True) format to assess observable behaviors indicative of varying degrees of child psychopathology. The scale items were derived from extensive clinical experience and relevant psychological literature. To ensure age-appropriateness, the items are organized into six distinct two-year age intervals. Preliminary validation efforts demonstrated its effectiveness as a diagnostic aid, supported by a measured interrater reliability of 0.72 and significant scoring differences between normal and clinically abnormal child populations.

Keywords

Psychiatric Screening Tool, Maladaptive Behavior, Interrater Reliability, Test Development, Treatment Outcomes, Socialization, Emotional Display, Vegetative Functioning, Appearance and Mannerisms, Thought Processes, Speech and Voice.

Authors

Eugene I. Burdock, Anne S. Hardesty

Purpose

The primary objective of the Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory (CBI) is to function as an effective psychiatric screening instrument for the general pediatric population. By systematically cataloging observable behaviors, the scale helps identify children who may require further clinical evaluation for potential mental health concerns.

Furthermore, the CBI serves a crucial secondary purpose as a criterion measure for assessing changes in response to therapeutic interventions. Clinicians can administer the inventory pre- and post-treatment to objectively quantify behavioral shifts, thereby evaluating the efficacy and outcomes of various treatment modalities.

Construct

The core psychological construct measured by the CBI is Child Psychopathology. This construct is operationalized through 139 items reflecting observable behaviors deemed clinically significant. The inventory systematically captures and categorizes these behaviors across six critical functional and behavioral areas, providing a multidimensional view of the child’s psychological status.

The six behavioral areas addressed by the CBI are:

• Vegetative Functioning
• Appearance and Mannerisms
• Speech and Voice
• Emotional Display
• Socialization
• Thought Processes

Validity

Initial indications of the CBI’s validity stem from its strong discriminatory power. The scale demonstrated a clear and significant separation of scores between groups of normal children and those identified as abnormal or mentally ill. This distinction suggests that the instrument effectively measures the presence and severity of maladaptive behavior characteristic of clinical populations.

Reliability

The reliability of the Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory was initially assessed using Interrater Reliability. In a study designed to quantify observer consistency, two nurses independently observed and scored the behavior of 15 mentally ill children.

The results yielded a robust product-moment correlation coefficient of 0.72. This finding indicates a satisfactory level of agreement between independent raters regarding the presence or absence of the targeted behaviors, suggesting the CBI items are clearly defined and consistently observable.

Factor Analysis

Formal statistical Factor Analysis was not conducted on the Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory at the time of its initial publication.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: The 139 items are answered by encircling T (true) or NT (not true) to indicate the presence or absence of maladaptive behavior.

Language Available: English (Original development)

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Childhood (birth–12 years); Infancy (2–23 months); Preschool Age (2–5 years); School Age (6–12 years).

Population Details: Normal and abnormal children aged 1–12 years from the United States.

Test Methodology: The instrument is an inventory/questionnaire consisting of 139 items. These items are categorized into six distinct behavioral areas and further grouped into six two-year age intervals to ensure developmental appropriateness across the target age range (1–12 years).

Keywords

Childhood Assessment, Behavioral Inventory, Clinical Screening, Psychometric Properties, Treatment Evaluation, 1964 Scale, Burdock and Hardesty.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not available

Affiliation Email addresses: Not available

Correspondence Address: Not available

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The CBI was first published in 1964. Information regarding current usage permissions, licensing fees, or specific distribution protocols is not provided in the original documentation. Test items are confirmed to be available.

Reference’s

• Burdock, E. I., & Hardesty, A. S. (1963). A children’s behavior diagnostic inventory. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 105(15), 890–896. The original article can be accessed via this link: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb42969.x

Items of the Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory consists of 139 items, which are classified into six primary behavioral domains:

• Vegetative Functioning
• Appearance and Mannerisms
• Speech and Voice
• Emotional Display
• Socialization
• Thought Processes