Validation of the Maladaptive Behavior Scale in three samples

Abstract

Brief and efficient measures of maladaptive behaviors are needed for screening purposes in a variety of health care settings. There currently are no brief broadband measures that assess the frequency of maladaptive behaviors as most of the existing measures assess a narrow set of behaviors, or assess urges, rather than actual behaviors. The current study seeks to revise and validate the Maladaptive Behavior Scale (MBS; DeShong, Helle, & Mullins-Sweatt, in preparation) in three adult samples. Field data collection (community sample) and online recruitment methods (college student sample) were utilized to collect to examine convergent and discriminant validity of the MBS with measures of general and maladaptive personality, personality disorders, impulsivity, and general functioning. The MBS was revised and administered to an online (Amazon Mturk) sample. The revised scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency and convergence with self-report measures of behavioral outcomes, general personality, and impulsivity. The MBS may be considered for use in health care or treatment settings to screen for and identify at-risk behaviors associated with psychopathology and health outcomes.