Development and Psychometric Examinations of a Simplified Chinese Mandarin Translation and Adaptation of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Assessment of youth psychopathology in Chinese schools is limited by an absence of empirically validated scales. The present study reports on the development and initial assessment of psychometric properties of a simplified Chinese Mandarin translation and adaptation of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents, a teacher-report behavior rating scale with a representative U.S. standardization sample. Comparisons of a large sample (N = 554) of Chinese elementary school students (Grades 1-6) with an age and grade matched sample from the ASCA standardization data found similar base rates of positive behaviors, rare problem behaviors, and common problem behaviors, suggesting cross-cultural similarity. Scale level assessment found no meaningful differences between the Chinese sample and the age and grade matched ASCA standardization sample in mean raw scores for ASCA core syndromes, supplementary syndromes, or global adjustment scales as all effect sizes were trivial. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.