1
The Reliability and Validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Name
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Author Note
Student number:
Tutor's name:
Group number:
Name of the course: Measurement Theory and Assessment 1
Filing date: 2 April, 2023
, 2
Emotional and behavioral issues have become a contemporary concern. According to the WHO,
10–20% of children and teenagers suffer from mental illnesses (Kessler, 2007). These data emphasize
the need to treat children's emotional and behavioral issues.
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was developed in 1990s by Robert
Goodman, a child psychiatrist. The goal of the SDQ was to create a brief and reliable measure of
children's emotional and behavioral problems that could be used in various settings, including clinical,
educational, and research settings. The SDQ is a strengths-based approach to mental health,
acknowledging that all children have strengths and challenges (Goodman, 1997).
This research mainly focuses on hyperactivity and prosocial behavior scales. The SDQ
hyperactivity subscale evaluates children's hyperactivity, restlessness, and impulsivity levels. It is an
effective tool for diagnosing behavioral problems such as ADHD and other
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders (Hall et al., 2019). The prosocial subscale assesses children's
empathy, kindness, and helpfulness toward others. A high score on the prosocial subscale indicates that
a child is likely to have strong social skills and positive relationships with others (Silva et al., 2015).
SDQ is a good measuring instrument for problems and provides some advantages. It is quick
and easy to administer, making it a useful screening tool in hectic clinical or educational contexts.
Moreover, the SDQ has been used in several research projects globally and has been translated into
many languages (Keilow et al., 2019). Therefore, it is essential to determine whether this instrument is
reliable.
The degree of reliability is a crucial criterion for determining whether an instrument correctly
measures. It indicates that an instrument produces the same result multiple times and is similar to
earlier measurement points or impacted by external influences. It is essential to employ a measuring
device that measures precisely; otherwise, no assertion regarding the validity of a measuring instrument
can be made.
Validity refers to whether a test accurately assesses the intended construct or concept. This
research examines convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. Convergent validity evaluates
whether different methods of measuring the same construct produce similar results. Discriminant
validity evaluates whether different methods of measuring different constructs produce different
results. Criterion validity, in turn, examines how well a test predicts or correlates with an external
standard.
The Reliability and Validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Name
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Author Note
Student number:
Tutor's name:
Group number:
Name of the course: Measurement Theory and Assessment 1
Filing date: 2 April, 2023
, 2
Emotional and behavioral issues have become a contemporary concern. According to the WHO,
10–20% of children and teenagers suffer from mental illnesses (Kessler, 2007). These data emphasize
the need to treat children's emotional and behavioral issues.
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was developed in 1990s by Robert
Goodman, a child psychiatrist. The goal of the SDQ was to create a brief and reliable measure of
children's emotional and behavioral problems that could be used in various settings, including clinical,
educational, and research settings. The SDQ is a strengths-based approach to mental health,
acknowledging that all children have strengths and challenges (Goodman, 1997).
This research mainly focuses on hyperactivity and prosocial behavior scales. The SDQ
hyperactivity subscale evaluates children's hyperactivity, restlessness, and impulsivity levels. It is an
effective tool for diagnosing behavioral problems such as ADHD and other
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders (Hall et al., 2019). The prosocial subscale assesses children's
empathy, kindness, and helpfulness toward others. A high score on the prosocial subscale indicates that
a child is likely to have strong social skills and positive relationships with others (Silva et al., 2015).
SDQ is a good measuring instrument for problems and provides some advantages. It is quick
and easy to administer, making it a useful screening tool in hectic clinical or educational contexts.
Moreover, the SDQ has been used in several research projects globally and has been translated into
many languages (Keilow et al., 2019). Therefore, it is essential to determine whether this instrument is
reliable.
The degree of reliability is a crucial criterion for determining whether an instrument correctly
measures. It indicates that an instrument produces the same result multiple times and is similar to
earlier measurement points or impacted by external influences. It is essential to employ a measuring
device that measures precisely; otherwise, no assertion regarding the validity of a measuring instrument
can be made.
Validity refers to whether a test accurately assesses the intended construct or concept. This
research examines convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. Convergent validity evaluates
whether different methods of measuring the same construct produce similar results. Discriminant
validity evaluates whether different methods of measuring different constructs produce different
results. Criterion validity, in turn, examines how well a test predicts or correlates with an external
standard.
