The Child Unusual Beliefs Scale: A Preliminary Validation Study

Lisa M Andersen, Pace University

Abstract

This study examined 151 child cases from an inpatient psychiatric setting to assess the clinical utility of the Child Unusual Beliefs Scale (CUBSCALE; Viglione, Fauroat, Khorram, and Muir, 1994). The CUBSCALE is a measure that was designed to assess unusual thinking, proneness to psychosis, and vulnerability to schizophrenia in children (Viglione et al., 1994). The purpose of the present study was to build on the work done by Viglione et al. (1994) by examining the convergent validity of the CUBSCALE in a sample of psychiatric inpatient children. In order to establish convergent validity, the CUBSCALE was compared to several criterion measures that have been selected based on their ability to discriminate psychotic symptomology. The participants of this study were selected from a sample of referrals to the psychological assessment service of a child psychiatric inpatient hospital. A total of 151 children were selected from this group on the basis of having completed a valid CUBSCALE. For this study we examined test-retest reliability and the construct and criterion validity of the CUBSCALE. The results demonstrated adequate test-retest reliability and good internal consistency (Coefficient Alpha = .86). An examination of test characteristics did not reveal the presence of significant age or gender differences in item endorsement. The results indicated that the CUBSCALE was significantly related to the diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, based on diagnostic interview and chart diagnosis. The CUBSCALE was also found to be significantly related to the presence of some aspects of thought disturbance, as measured by the Rorschach test, diagnostic interview, and therapist ratings. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between the CUBSCALE and the presence of overt psychotic symptoms (i.e., hallucinations) as rated by the therapist and documented in the participant's medical record. Thus, the results of this study support that the CUBSCALE appears to be a reliable measure that is selectively related to the psychiatric characteristics that it should be. This suggests good convergent validity for the CUBSCALE as a measure of thought disturbance and psychotic symptomology in a psychiatric population. However, the full diagnostic utility of this measure continues to be unclear and future research in this area would be beneficial. Limitations and additional directions for future research were discussed, as well as the relevance of this research to the field of school/clinical-child psychology.

Subject Area

Personality psychology|Clinical psychology

Recommended Citation

Andersen, Lisa M, "The Child Unusual Beliefs Scale: A Preliminary Validation Study" (2006). ETD Collection for Pace University. AAI3209770.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dissertations/AAI3209770

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