Conners Teacher Questionnaire--norms and validity

Abstract

A random sample of Auckland elementary school children (N=418) were rated by their teachers on Conners Teacher Questionnaire, one of the measures recommended by the National Institute of Mental Health for use in drug studies with children. Norms were found to be comparable with a New York sample on two of the four factors but children from a Midwestern university town differed substantially from the New Zealand and New York groups so that further standardisation work is necessary. A replica of Conners factor structure was also attempted and the results compared additionally with a similar U.S. study. It was concluded that despite some definite differences, the original factor structure appeared sufficiently stable across studies not to change the present scoring system except to add the Sociability Factor. The tendencies for boys to be rated higher on acting out type behaviors and girls on neurotic symptoms is consistent with clinical experience and previous studies.