Abstract
Background
While child self-reports of psychopathology are increasingly accepted, little standardized instruments are utilized for these practices. The Berkeley Puppet Interview (BPI) is an age-appropriate instrument for self-reports of problem behavior by young children.
Objective
Psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the BPI will be reported, specifically, test–retest reliability, intra-class correlations, congruent and concurrent validity.
Methods
In a sample of 300 children (M age = 7.04 years, SD = 1.15), the BPI was administered twice, with a 1-year interval. Parents and teachers filled out questionnaires about their children’s problem behavior.
Results
Findings from the analyses indicate that the BPI subscales have sufficient test–retest reliability and can be reliably coded. Furthermore, findings suggest adequate congruent validity. More support for concurrent validity is found among externalizing problems in comparison to internalizing problems.
Conclusions
With regard to the present study, the BPI seems to have adequate psychometric properties. As such, the BPI enables interviewing young children about their psychopathology-related symptoms in a standardized way. The BPI could be applied in clinical practice as a complement to the diagnostic cycle, allowing children’s self-reports to play an increasingly important role.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ablow, J. C., Measelle, J. R., Kraemer, H. C., Harrington, R., Luby, J., Smider, N., et al. (1999). The MacArthur three-city outcome study: Evaluating multi-informant measures of young children’s symptomatology. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(12), 1580–1590. doi:10.1097/00004583-19991200-00020.
Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: Implications of cross-informant correlation for situational specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213–232.
Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2000). Manual for the ASEBA preschool forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.
Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2001). Manual for ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.
Achenbach, T. M., & Ruffle, T. M. (2000). The child behavior checklist and related forms for assessing behavioral/emotional problems and competencies. Pediatrics in Review, 21, 265–279.
Ansary, N. S., & Luthar, S. S. (2009). Distress and academic achievement among adolescent of affluence: A study of externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors and school performance. Development and Psychopathology, 21, 319–341.
Arseneault, L., Kim-Cohen, J., Taylor, A., Caspi, A., & Moffit, T. E. (2005). Psychometric evaluation of 5- and 7-year old children’s self-reports of conduct problems. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 537–550.
Bayer, J. K., Rapee, R. M., Hiscock, H., Ukourmunne, O. C., Mihalopoulos, C., & Wake, M. (2011). Translational research to prevent internalizing problems early in childhood. Depression and Anxiety, 28, 50–57.
Bayer, J. K., & Sanson, A. V. (2003). Preventing the development of emotional mental health problems from early childhood: recent advances in the field. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 5, 4–16.
Bhatia, S. K., & Bhatia, S. C. (2007). Childhood and adolescent depression. American Academy of Family Physicians, 75, 73–80.
Birmaher, B., Brent, D. A., Chiappetta, L., Bridge, J., Monga, S., & Baugher, M. (1999). Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): A replication study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38, 1230–1236.
Carter, A. S., Wagmiller, R. J., Gray, S. A. O., McCarthy, K. J., Horwitz, S. M., & Briggs-Gowan, M. J. (2010). Prevalence of DSM-IV disorder in a representative, healthy birth cohort at school entry: Sociodemographic risks and sociale adapation. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47, 686–698.
Cicchetti, D. V., Koenig, K., Klin, A., Volkmar, F. R., Paul, R., & Sparrow, S. (2011). From Bayes through marginal utility to effect sizes: A guide to understanding the clinical and statistical significance of the results of autism research findings. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 168–174.
Cicchetti, D., & Toth, S. L. (1998). The development of depression in children and adolescents. American Psychologist, 53, 221–241.
Costello, E. J., Mustillo, S., Erkanli, A., Keeler, G., & Angold, A. (2003). Prevalence and development of psychiatric disorder in childhood and adolescence. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60, 837–844.
De Los Reyes, A., & Kazdin, A. E. (2005a). Informant discrepancies in the assessment of childhood psychopathology: A critical review, theoretical framework, and recommendations for further study. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 483–509.
De Los Reyes, A., & Kazdin, A. E. (2005b). Informant discrepancies in the assessment of childhood psychopathology: A critical review, theoretical framework, and recommendations for further study. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 483–509.
Egger, H. L., & Angold, A. (2006). Common emotional and behavioral disorders in preschool children: Presentation, nosology, and epidemiology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 313–337.
Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., & Ridder, E. M. (2005). Show me the child at seven: The consequences of conduct problems in childhood for psychosocial functioning in adulthood. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46, 837–849.
Goodman, R., Ford, T., Simmons, H., Gatward, R., & Meltzer, H. (2000). Using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) to screen for child psychiatric disorders in a community sample. British Journal of Psychiatry, 177, 534–539.
Harter, S. (1982). The perceived competence scale for children. Child Development, 53, 87–97.
Hill, L. G., Lochman, J. E., Coie, J. D., & Greenberg, M. T. (2004). Effectiveness of early screening for externalizing problems: Issues of screening accuracy and utility. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 809–820.
Ialongo, N. S., Edelsohn, G., & Kellam, S. G. (2001). A further look at the prognostic power of young children’s reports of depressed mood and feelings. Child Development, 72, 736–747.
Jaddoe, V. W., van Duijn, C. M., Franco, O. H., van der Heijden, A. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., de Jongste, J. C., et al. (2012). The Generation R Study: Design and cohort update 2012. European Journal of Epidemiology, 27, 739–756.
Kim, T. E., Guerra, N. G., & Williams, K. R. (2008). Preventing youth problem behaviors and enhancing physical health by promoting core competencies. Journal of Adolescent Health, 43, 401–407.
Klein, D. N., Dougherty, L. R., & Olino, T. M. (2005). Toward guidelines for evidence-based assessment of depression in children and adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34, 412–432.
Kovacs, M. (2001). Children’s depression inventory (CDI). North Tonawanda, NY: Multi Health Systems Inc.
Kraemer, H. C., Measelle, J. R., Ablow, J. C., Essex, M. J., Boyce, W. T., & Kupfer, D. J. (2003). A new approach to integrating data from multiple informants in psychiatric assessment and research: Mixing and matching contexts and perspectives. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1566–1577.
Kroes, G., Veerman, J. W., & De Bruyn, E. E. J. (2003). Bias in parental reports? Maternal psychopathology and the reporting of problem behavior in clinic-referred children. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 19, 195–203.
Kuijpers, R. C. W. M., Otten, R., Krol, N. P. C. M., Vermulst, A. A., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2013). The reliability and validity of the Dominic Interactive: A computerized child report instrument for mental health problems. Child & Youth Care Forum, 1, 35–52.
Lavigne, J. V., LeBailly, S. A., Hopkins, J., Gouze, K. R., & Binns, H. J. (2009). The prevalence of ADHD, ODD, depression, and anxiety in a community simple of 4-year olds. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 38, 315–328.
Luby, J. L. (2010). Preschool depression: The importance of identification of depression early in development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19, 91–95.
Luby, J. L., Belden, A., Sullivan, J., & Spitznagel, E. (2007). Preschoolers’ contribution to their diagnosis of depression and anxiety: Uses and limitations of young child self-report of symptoms. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 38, 321–338.
Luby, J. L., Si, X., Belden, A. C., Tandon, M., & Spitznagel, E. (2009). Preschool depression: Homotypic continuity and course over 24 months. Archives of General Psychiatry, 66, 897–905.
Mash, E. J., & Hunsley, J. (2005). Evidence-based assessment of child and adolescent disorders: Issues and challenges. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34, 362–379.
Measelle, J. R., Ablow, J. C., Cowan, P. A., & Cowan, C. P. (1998). Assessing young children’s views of their academic, social and emotional lives: An evaluation of the self-perception scales of the Berkeley Puppet Interview. Child Development, 69, 1556–1676.
Merikangas, K. R., He, J., Burstein, M., Swendsden, J., Avenevoli, S., Case, B., et al. (2011). Service utilization for lifetime mental disorder in U.S. adolescents: Results of the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 50, 32–45.
Morcillo, C., Duarte, C. S., Sala, R., Wang, S., Lejuez, C. W., Kerridge, B., et al. (2011). Conduct disorder and adult psychiatric diagnoses: Associations and gender differences in the U.S. adult population. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46, 323–330.
Morris, A. S., Silk, J. S., Steinberg, L., Sessa, F. M., Avenevoli, S., & Essex, S. J. (2002). Temperamental vulnerability and negative parenting as interacting predictors of child adjustment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64, 461–471.
Mutsaers, K. (2009). Het herkennen en diagnosticeren van depressieve stoornissen. Retrieved, August 20, 2012, from http://www.nji.nl/nji/dossierDownloads/Instrumenten%20depressie.pdf.
O’Neill, K. A., Conner, B. T., & Kendall, P. C. (2011). Internalizing disorders and substance use disorders in youth: Comorbidity, risk, temporal order, and implications for intervention. Clinical Psychology Review, 31, 104–112.
Reef, J., Diamantopoulous, S., Van Meurs, I., Verhulst, F., & Van der Ende, J. (2010). Predicting adult emotional and behavioral problems from externalizing problem trajectories in a 24-year longitudinal study. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 19, 577–585.
Ringoot, A. P., Jansen, P. W., Steenweg-de Graaff, J., Measelle, J. R., Van der Ende, J., Raat, H., et al. (2013). Young children’s self-reported emotional, behavioral and peer problems: The Berkeley Puppet Interview. Psychological Assessment. doi:10.1037/a0033976.
Rubin, K. H., & Mills, R. S. L. (1990). Maternal beliefs about adaptive and maladaptive social behaviors in normal, aggressive, and withdrawn preschoolers. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 18, 419–435.
Scheeringa, M. S., & Haslett, N. (2010). The reliability and criterion validity of the diagnostic infant and preschool assessment: A new diagnostic instrument for young children. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 41, 299–312.
Scheeringa, M. S., & Zeanah, C. H. (2008). Reconsideration of Harm’s way: Onsets and comorbidity patterns of disorders in preschool children and their caregivers following hurricane Katrina. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 37, 508–518.
Stone, L. L., Giletta, M., Brendgen, M., Otten, R., Engels, R. C. M. E., & Janssens, J. M. A. M. (2013a). Friendship similarities in internalizing problems in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28, 210–217.
Stone, L. L., Otten, R., Janssens, J. M. A. M., Soenens, B., Kuntsche, E., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2013b). Does parental psychological control relate to internalizing problems in early childhood? An examination sing the Berkeley Puppet Interview. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 37, 309–318.
Valla, J. P. (2000). Instruction manual for the Dominic Interactive. In J. P. Valla (Ed.), The Dominic Interactive. DIMAT: Montreal, Canada.
Van Leeuwen, H. M. P. (2002). Het diagnostisch interview met het kind. In T. Kievit, J. A. Tak, & J. D. Bosch (Red.), Handboek psychodiagnostiek voor de hulpverlening aan kinderen (pp. 125–144). Utrecht: De Tijdstroom.
van Widenfelt, B. M., Goedhart, A. W., Treffers, P. D. A., & Goodman, R. (2003). Dutch version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 12, 281–289.
Verhulst, F. C., Van der Ende, J., & Koot, H. M. (1997). Handleiding voor de Teacher’s Report Form (TRF). Rotterdam: Afdeling Kinder- en Jeugdpsychiatrie, Sophia Kinderziekenhuis/Erasmus MC.
Acknowledgments
This research was granted by the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Care Innovation (ZonMW: 80-82435-98-8026).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stone, L.L., van Daal, C., van der Maten, M. et al. The Berkeley Puppet Interview: A Screening Instrument for Measuring Psychopathology in Young Children. Child Youth Care Forum 43, 211–225 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-013-9235-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-013-9235-9