Peer Deviancy Scale – PDS
Measures the extent to which an individual's close peers engage in deviant and academic-related problem behaviors.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Peer Deviancy Scale – PDS was developed by Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group (1998). It is designed to measure Peer Deviancy. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and Youth.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 17 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Peer Deviancy, Academic-Related Behaviors.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Peer Deviancy | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 | 13 |
| Academic-Related Behaviors | 14,15,16,17 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = None of them, 1 = Very few of them, 2 = Some of them, 3 = Most of them, 4 = All of them.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 0 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Peer Deviancy: 0 – 1
- Moderate Peer Deviancy: 1 – 2
- High Peer Deviancy: 2 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha of .84 to .88.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.