Development of a Children’s Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire – Japanese Version

Abstract

  In the present study, a Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ) – Japanese Version was developed on the basis of parents' and teachers' reports, and its reliability and validity were examined. The parents (n=497) and teachers (n=609) of 3- to 5-year-old children wrote reports. A confirmatory factor analysis of the parents' and teachers' reports indicated that the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire had a 6-factor structure. Its reliability was acceptable, as internal consistency and moderate stability for 3 months were observed. An analysis of scores on the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) revealed a significant correlation on many subscales, confirming the instrument's convergent validity. The construct validity of the parents' and teachers' reports was examined by direct observation of children's behavior in a simulated novel situation in which they had to interact with strangers. In the sample of 31 children, significant correlations were found between ratings on the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire and several observational measures of child behavior. These results were encouraging, because they suggest that parents' and teachers' reports may be useful for assessing childhood behavioral inhibition.