Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dimensions of Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Young Children: Model Comparisons, Gender and Longitudinal Invariance

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Identifying the latent structure of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) may have important clinical and research implications. The present study compared existing dimensional models of ODD for model fit and examined the metric and scalar invariance of the best-fitting model. Study participants were a diverse (38.8 % minority, 49.1 % boys) community sample of 796 children. Parents completed the Child Symptom Inventory and the DISC-YC ODD scales at child ages of 4, 5 and 6–7 years. When comparing single-factor (DSM-IV model), two-factor (oppositional behavior, negative affect), and three-factor models (one with dimensions of oppositional behavior, negative affect, antagonistic behavior; a second with dimensions of irritable, hurtful, and headstrong), the two-factor model showed the best fit. The two-factor model showed configural, metric and scalar invariance across gender and age. Results suggest that, among existing models, ODD is best characterized as two separate dimensions, one behavioral and one affective, which are comparable for both boys and girls in these age groups.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aebi, M., Muller, U. C., Asherson, P., Banachewski, T., Buitelaar, J., Ebstein, R. P., & Steinhausen, H. C. (2010). Predictability of oppositional defiant disorder and symptom dimensions in children and adolescents with ADHD combined type. Psychological Medicine, 40, 2089–2100. doi:10.1017/S0033291710000590.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington: American Psychiatric Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural equations with latent variables. New York: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bontempo, D.E., & Hofer, S.M. (2007). Assessing factorial invariance in cross-sectional and longtitudinal studies. In A. D. Ong & M. H. M. van Dulmen (Eds.), Oxford handbook of methods in positive psychology (pp. 153–175). New York: Oxford.

  • Brown, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural models (pp. 136–162). Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, F. B., & Satorra, A. (2012). Principles and practice of scaled difference chi-square testing. Structural Equation Modeling, 19, 372–398. doi:10.1080/10705511.2012.687671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, J. D., & Loeber, R. (2010). Oppositional defiant disorder and the explanation of the comorbidity between behavioral disorders and depression. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 17, 319–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, J. D., Loeber, R., Lahey, B. B., & Rathouz, P. J. (2005). Developmental transitions among affective and behavioral disorders in adolescent boys. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46, 1200–1210.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, J. D., Hipwell, A. E., & Loeber, R. (2010). Dimensions of oppositional defiant disorder as predictors of depression and conduct disorder in preadolescent girls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49, 484–492.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burns, G. L., Walsh, J. A., Gomez, R., & Hafetz, N. (2006). Measurement and structural invariance of parent reatings of ADHD and ODD symptoms across gender for American and Malaysian children. Psychological Assessment, 18, 452–457. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.18.4.452.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caron, C., & Rutter, M. (1991). Comorbidity in child psychopathology: concepts, issues and research strategies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 1063–1080.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 233–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copeland, W. E., Shanahan, L., Costello, E. J., & Angold, A. (2009). Childhood and adolescent psychiatric disorders as predictors of young adult disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 66, 764–772.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cribbie, R. A. (2007). Multiplicity control in structural equation modeling. Structural Equation Modeling, 14, 98–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drabick, D. A. G., & Gadow, K. D. (2012). Deconstructing oppositional defiant disorder: clinic-based evidence for an anger/irritability phenotype. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 384–393.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drabick, D. A. G., & Kendall, P. C. (2010). Developmental psychopathology and the diagnosis of mental health problems among youth. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 17, 272–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drabick, D. A. G., Bubier, J. L., Chen, D., Price, J., & Lanza, H. (2011). Source-specific oppositional defiant disorder among inner-city children: prospective prediction and moderation. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 40, 23–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, L., & Dunn, L. (1997). The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (3rd ed.). Circle Pines: American Guidance Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egger, H. E., & Angold, A. (2006). Common emotional and behavioral disorders in preschool children: presentation, nosology, and epidemiology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 313–337.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ezpeleta, L., Granero, R., de la Osa, N., Penelo, E., & Domenech, J. M. (2012). Dimensions of oppositional defiant disorder in 3-year-old preschoolers. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53, 1128–1138. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02545.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, P., & Lucas, C. (2006). Diagnostic Interview Schedule For Children (DISC-IV)-Young Child. New York: Columbia University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadow, K. D., & Sprafkin, J. (1997). Early Childhood Inventory 4 Norms Manual. Stonybrook: Checkmate Plus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadow, K. D., & Sprafkin, J. (2000). Early Childhood Inventory 4 Screening Manual. Stonybrook: Checkmate Plus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, J. W. (2009). Missing data analysis: making it work in the real world. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 549–576.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holland, B. S., & Copenhaver, M. D. (1987). An improved sequentially rejective Bonferroni test procedure. Biometrics, 43, 417–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollingshead, A. B. (1975). Four-factor Index of Social Position. New Haven: Yale University Department of Sociology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, E. C., Meade, A. W., & DuVernet, A. M. (2009). The role of referent indicators in tests of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 16, 642–657.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joreskog, K. G., & Sorbom, D. (2006). LISREL for Windows. Chicago: Scientific Software International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keenan, K., Wroblewski, K., Hipwell, A. E., Loeber, R., & Stouthamer-Loeber, J. (2010). Age of onset, symptom threshold, and expansion of the nosology of conduct disorder for girls. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119, 689–699.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krieger, F. V., Polanczyk, G. V., Goodman, R., Rohde, L. A., Graeff-Martins, A. S., Salum, G., & Stringaris, A. (2013). Dimensions of oppositionality in a Brazilian community sample: testing the DSM-5 proposal and etiological links. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52, 389–400.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lavigne, J. V., Cicchetti, C., Gibbons, R. D., Binns, H. J., Larsen, L., & DeVito, C. (2001). Oppositional defiant disorder with onset in preschool years: longitudinal stability and pathways to other disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 1393–1400.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • 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 sample of 4-year-olds. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 38, 315–328.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lavigne, J. V., Gouze, K. R., Hopkins, J., Bryant, F. B., & LeBailly, S. A. (2012). A multi-domain model of risk factors for ODD symptoms in a community sample of 4-year-olds. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 40(5), 741–757. doi:10.1007/s10802-011-9603-6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lavigne, J.V., Dahl, K.P., Gouze, K.R., LeBailly, S.A., & Hopkins, J. (2014). Multi-domain predictors of oppositional defiant disorder symptoms in preschool children: cross-informant differences. Child Psychiatry and Human Development.

  • Marsh, H. W., Hau, K. T., & Wen, Z. (2004). In search of golden rules: comment on hypothesis-testing approaches to setting cutoff values for fit indexes and dangers in overgeneralizing Hu and Bentler’s findings. Structural Equation Modeling, 11, 320–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meredith, W. (1993). Measurement invariance, factor analysis, and factorial invariance. Psychometrika, 58, 525–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newsom, J. (nd). Practical approaches to dealing with nonnormal and categorical variables. www.upa.pdx.edu/IOW/newsom/semclass/ho_estimate2.pdf.

  • Nunnally, J., & Bernstein, I. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pardini, D. A., Frick, P. J., & Moffitt, T. E. (2010). Building an evidence base for DSM-5 conceptualizations of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder: Introduction to the special section. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119, 683–688.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rowe, R., Costello, E. J., Angold, A., & Copeland, W. E. (2010). Developmental pathways in oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119, 726–738. doi:10.1037/a0020798.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saban, K.L., Bryant, F.B., Reda, D.J., Stroupe, K.T., & Hynes, D.M. (2010). Measurement invariance of the kidney disease and quality of life instrument (KDQOL-SF) across veterans and non-veterans. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, www.hqlo.com/content/8/1/120, 120.

  • Satorra, A., & Bentler, P. M. (1994). Corrections to test statistics and standard errors in covariance structure analysis. In A. von Eye & C. C. Clogg (Eds.), Latent variables analysis: Applications for developmental research (pp. 399–419). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Satorra, A., & Bentler, P. M. (2001). A scaled difference chi-square test statistic for moment structure analysis. Psychometrika, 66, 507–514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, N. (1996). Uses and abuses of coefficient alpha. Psychological Assessment, 8, 350–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sidak, Z. (1967). Rectangular confidence regions for the means of multivariate normal distributions. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 62, 626–633.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stringaris, A., & Goodman, R. (2009a). Longitudinal outcomes of youth oppositionality: irritable, headstrong, and hurtful behaviors have distinctive predictions. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 48, 404–412.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stringaris, A., & Goodman, R. (2009b). Three dimensions of oppositionality in youth. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 216–233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Teresi, J. (2006). Overview of quantitative methods: equivalence, invariance and differential item functioning in health applications. Medical Care, Suppl. 3(44), S39–S49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberg, R. J., & Lance, C. E. (2000). A review and synthesis of the measurement invariance literature: suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 3, 4–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wakschlag, L. S., Henry, D. B., Tolan, P. H., Carter, A. S., Burns, J. L., & Briggs-Gowan, M. J. (2012). Putting theory to the test: modeling a multidimensional, developmentally-based approach to preschool disruptive behavior. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 593–604.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Webster-Stratton, C. S., Reid, M. J., & Hammond, M. (2004). Treating children with early-onset conduct problems: intervention outcomes for parent, child, and teacher training. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 33, 105–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflicts of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (#10), Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    John V. Lavigne & Karen R. Gouze

  2. Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    John V. Lavigne & Karen R. Gouze

  3. Mary Ann and J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research Program, Children’s Hospital of Chicago Research Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    John V. Lavigne

  4. Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Fred B. Bryant

  5. College of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Joyce Hopkins

Authors
  1. John V. Lavigne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fred B. Bryant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joyce Hopkins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Karen R. Gouze
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John V. Lavigne.

Additional information

This research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health grant MH 063665.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOCX 38 kb)

ESM 2

(DOCX 20 kb)

ESM 3

(DOCX 22 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lavigne, J.V., Bryant, F.B., Hopkins, J. et al. Dimensions of Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Young Children: Model Comparisons, Gender and Longitudinal Invariance. J Abnorm Child Psychol 43, 423–439 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9919-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9919-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation