Convergent validity of the aberrant behavior checklist and behavior problems inventory with people with complex needs.
ABC and BPI-01 subscales line up as promised, so you can choose either one to measure irritability, stereotypy, or aggression in adults with severe ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hill et al. (2008) compared two caregiver checklists side-by-side.
They looked at the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and the Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI-01) in adults with severe intellectual disability living in a large residential center.
Staff who knew the clients well filled out both forms so the researchers could see if the subscales matched where they should.
What they found
The two tools lined up as expected.
When the ABC irritability score was high, the BPI aggression score was also high.
The same pattern held for stereotypy and self-injury, giving clinicians green light to use either form to judge severity.
How this fits with other research
Rojahn et al. (2003) ran almost the same study five years earlier and got the same result, so Jennie’s team shows the finding holds over time.
Dumont et al. (2014) later repeated the work in Dutch and again found the two checklists converge, proving the link is not just an English-language quirk.
Rojahn et al. (2012) shrank the BPI to a 30-item short form and still saw strong ABC links, so you can now save time without losing confidence.
Why it matters
If you work in residential or day-program settings, you can grab either the ABC or the BPI-01 off the shelf and trust the scores.
No need to give both to already busy staff.
Pick the form that matches your funding or team habit, then track the same three key problems: self-injury, stereotypy, and aggression.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The current study aimed to replicate and extend Rojahn et al. [Rojahn, J., Aman, M. G., Matson, J. L., & Mayville, E. (2003). The aberrant behavior checklist and the behavior problems inventory: Convergent and divergent validity. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 24, 391-404] by examining the convergent validity of the behavior problems inventory (BPI) and the aberrant behavior checklist (ABC) for individuals presenting with multiple complex behavior problems. Data were collected from 69 children and adults with severe intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior living in residential establishments. MANCOVA analyses showed that individuals with elevated BPI stereotyped behavior subscale scores had higher scores on ABC lethargy and stereotypy subscales, while those with elevated BPI aggressive/destructive behavior subscale scores obtained higher scores on ABC irritability, stereotypy and hyperactivity subscales. Multiple regression analyses showed a corresponding pattern of results in the prediction of ABC subscale scores by BPI subscale scores. Exploratory factor analysis of the BPI data suggested a six-factor solution with an aggressive/destructive behavior factor, four factors relating to stereotypy, and one related to stereotypy and self-injury. These results, discussed with reference to Rojahn et al. [Rojahn, J., Aman, M. G., Matson, J. L., & Mayville, E. (2003). The aberrant behavior checklist and the behavior problems inventory: Convergent and divergent validity. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 24, 391-404], support the existence of relationships between specific subscales of the two instruments in addition to an overall association between total scores related to general severity of behavioral disturbance.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2008 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2006.10.002