Overview
Behavior Rating Scales are commonplace in assessment due to their provision of structured information about behavior. The Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) contains in-depth reviews of two very common methods: the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition—Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-3 BESS) and the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA). While the two methods have been designed to assess emotional and behavioral functioning, they vary considerably in terms of scope, level of detail, and purpose.
The BASC-3 BESS is a screening tool that is intended to assess behavioral and emotional risk factors for children and adolescents. As reported in the MMY review, the BASC-3 BESS is administered to individuals aged 3 to 18 years old, either individually or in a group setting (Buros Center for Testing, 2017). The screening tool has five different forms: two for teachers and parents of preschool and child/adolescent children, and a form for self-report by students in grades 3-12. Each form only takes 5 to 15 minutes to answer. The screening tool provides a total score called the Behavioral and Emotional Risk Index (BERI), as well as several subscales pertaining to externalizing risk factors, internalizing risk factors, adaptive skills risk, and other areas as specified on each form. As indicated in the MMY review, the BASC-3 BESS has a total BERI score that has stable reliability, validity, and correlations with other widely used, well-established tests such as the ASEBA (Buros Center for Testing, 2017).
Specifically, I would administer the BASC-3 BESS as a screener. The brevity and multiple-informant approach of this assessment make it particularly useful for early identification of individuals who may be at risk for behavioral or emotional problems. From a behavior-analytic perspective, the BASC-3 BESS could be used to determine whether there is a need for further assessment. While the BASC-3 BESS would not be considered useful for identifying functional behavior or developing interventions independently, it might assist in determining whether there is a need for direct observation, functional behavior assessment, or more comprehensive assessment.
The ASEBA represents a much more comprehensive set of assessment tools designed for the evaluation of problems in behavior, adaptive functioning, and competencies across the lifespan. According to MMY reviews, ASEBA encompasses individuals ranging from 18 months through older adulthood, with unique levels for preschool, school-age, adult, and older adults (Buros Center for Testing, 2017). The most commonly used tools targeting children and adolescents include the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Teacher Report Form (TRF), and the Youth Self-Report (YSR). The ASEBA uses empirically derived syndrome scales that group behaviors into Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems scores, and it also includes DSM-oriented scales that match DSM-5 categories.Administration time depends on test forms and typically takes between 10-20 minutes.
In my own practice, I would find the ASEBA to be more useful given the need for comprehensive assessment or monitoring. The MMY review highlights the sound psychometric properties that the ASEBA has brought to bear in terms of its reliability and validity, accumulated over several decades of research and use (Buros Center for Testing, 2017). The dimensional nature of the ASEBA is very useful for monitoring progress and for making decisions that are supported by data. In a broader sense, behavior rating scales play a significant role in behavior analysis as indirect forms of assessment. They enable the practitioner to obtain information from natural environments, some of which may not be observable directly. They also facilitate assessment on multiple informants and settings. Though rating scales cannot directly indicate behavioral function, they are very helpful in screening procedures, hypothesis testing, and progress monitoring. Together with direct observation and functional assessment, behavior rating scales help in forming a comprehensive view of behavior.
References:
Buros Center for Testing. (2017). Mental measurements yearbook (20th ed.) [Review of the BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System]. University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Buros Center for Testing. (2017). Mental measurements yearbook (20th ed.) [Review of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment]. University of Nebraska–Lincoln