| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Alternate Test Names | Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory |
| Acronyms | CBI |
| Test Type | Original |
| Instrument Type | Inventory/Questionnaire |
| Construct | Child Psychopathology |
| Purpose | The Children’s Behavior Inventory (CBI) serves as a psychiatric screening tool for the general population and a criterion measure to assess changes in response to treatment. |
| Description | The CBI, developed by Burdock and Hardesty (1964), is a 139-item yes-no scale designed for psychiatric screening in children aged 1–12 years. Items are grouped into six two-year intervals by age-appropriateness. Derived from clinical experience and literature, the items reflect observable behaviors significant of varying degrees of childhood psychopathology. The six behavioral areas are: Vegetative Functioning, Appearance and Mannerisms, Speech and Voice, Emotional Display, Socialization, and Thought Processes. Preliminary interrater reliability was established at 0.72. Significant score differences were observed between normal and abnormal children. |
| Author | Eugene I. Burdock and Anne S. Hardesty |
| Test Year | 1964 |
| Reliability | Interrater Reliability: A product-moment correlation of 0.72 was obtained in a study involving 15 mentally ill children observed by two nurses. |
| Validity | Validity is indicated by a clear separation of scores between samples of normal and abnormal children. |
| Factor Analysis | Not conducted. |
| Format | The 139 items are answered by encircling T (true) or NT (not true) to indicate the presence or absence of maladaptive behavior. |
| Test Items Available | Yes |
| Number of Items | 139 items, classified into six behavioral areas: Vegetative Functioning, Appearance and Mannerisms, Speech and Voice, Emotional Display, Socialization, and Thought Processes. |
| Population Group | Human; Male; Female |
| Population Details | Normal and abnormal children aged 1–12 years from the United States. |
| Age Group | Childhood (birth–12 years); Infancy (2–23 months); Preschool Age (2–5 years); School Age (6–12 years). |
| Keywords | Psychiatric Screening Tool; Maladaptive Behavior; Interrater Reliability; Test Development; Treatment Outcomes; Socialization; Emotional Display; Vegetative Functioning; Appearance and Mannerisms; Thought Processes; Speech and Voice. |
| References | Burdock, E. I., & Hardesty, A. S. (1963). A children’s behavior diagnostic inventory. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 105(15), 890–896. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb42969.x |
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/childrens-behavior-diagnostic-inventory/
Mohammed looti. "Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 4 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/childrens-behavior-diagnostic-inventory/.
Mohammed looti. "Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/childrens-behavior-diagnostic-inventory/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/childrens-behavior-diagnostic-inventory/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Children’s Behavior Diagnostic Inventory. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.