The Conduct Disorder Scale (CDS) is an efficient and effective instrument for evaluating students exhibiting severe behavior problems who may have Conduct Disorder. It is the only test of its kind that provides standard scores for use in identifying students with Conduct Disorder. The 40 items on the CDS describe the specific diagnostic behaviors characteristic of persons with Conduct Disorder. These items comprise four subscales representing the core symptom clusters necessary for the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder: Aggressive Conduct, Non-aggressive Conduct, Deceitfulness and Theft, and Rule Violations.
Normed on a representative national sample of more than 600 persons who were diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, these results constitute the most current norms on Conduct Disorder currently available. Exact demographics of the standardization sample are reported in the manual by age, gender, geographic location, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Studies of internal consistency and test-retest reliability produced high alpha coefficients. Additional studies confirmed the test's content, construct, and criterion-related validity. Concurrent validity was established by correlating the CDS with the Behavior Rating Profile-Second Edition: Teacher Rating Scales and the Differential Test of Conduct and Emotional Problems. The results of these studies attest to the CDS's utility and effectiveness in the evaluation of students with Conduct Disorder. Extensive evidence of the statistical properties of the test is reported in the test manual.
The CDS is for individuals ages 5 though 22 who present unique behavioral problems. It is designed to help in the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder and can be administered by anyone who has had direct, sustained contact with the referred individual (e.g., teachers, parents, siblings, etc.). Items on the subscales have strong face validity because they are based on the diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder published in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR).
Characteristics of the CDS
- 40 items in a behavioral checklist format are easily rated using objective frequency-based ratings.
- A detailed interview form (derived from DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria) is provided to document infrequent but serious behavior problems that are indicative of persons who have Conduct Disorder.
- The test was standardized on 1,040 persons representing the following diagnostic groups: normal, gifted and talented, intellectually disabled, with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, physically handicapped, and persons with Conduct Disorder.
- Norms were developed based on 644 representative individuals with Conduct Disorder.
- The amount of time required for completing a rating on an individual is minimal (approximately 5 to 10 minutes in most cases).
- Standard scores and percentiles are provided. A Conduct Disorder Quotient is derived based on information from all four subscales.
- The Conduct Disorder Quotient is an interpretation guide provided for determining the likelihood that a participant has Conduct Disorder and the severity of the disorder.
Proud to be Canadian
