MULTIPLE ASSESSMENT OF CONDUCT-DISORDERED AND NONREFERRED LATENCY-AGE BOYS

The present study investigated differences between conduct-disordered boys and their mothers and matched normal boys and their mothers in clinic observed behaviors and in self-report of child characteristics, in mother's level of depression, and in community insularity. Referred children were diagnosed conduct-disordered on the basis of a thorough screening; diagnoses were confirmed by the independent, blind judgment of a child psychiatrist. Analysis of data from the behavioral observations and from the self-report measures of child characteristics yielded a significant overall difference between the referral groups. Univariate differences between groups were found for two of the behavioral variables: parent social approach behavior and child rate of noncomply behavior. The mothers of the nonreferred boys showed more social approach behavior, and the conduct-disordered boys showed a higher rate of noncompliance than did the normal boys. Each of the five factors from the Becker Bipolar Adjective Checklist and each of the four scales from the Parent Attitude Test were found to be significantly different for the referral groups, with the conduct-disordered children being rated as being less well adjusted in each instance. No difference was found between groups for mother's self-reported level of depression on the Beck Depression Inventory, or for community insularity as measured by the Community Insularity Checklist. Findings supported Patterson's coercion hypothesis to describe the interaction of a family with a behaviorally disturbed child. Treatment implications from the present research suggest that mothers of conduct-disordered boys do need help in learning how to elicit compliance from their children. Therapists also should key attention to whether the mother of a behaviorally disturbed child shows social approach behaviors when interacting with her child.