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. 2013 Feb;17(2):152-62.
doi: 10.1177/1087054711427399. Epub 2011 Dec 15.

The SWAN captures variance at the negative and positive ends of the ADHD symptom dimension

Anne B Arnett  1 , Bruce F Pennington, Angela Friend, Erik G Willcutt, Brian Byrne, Stefan Samuelsson, Richard K Olson
Affiliations

The SWAN captures variance at the negative and positive ends of the ADHD symptom dimension

Anne B Arnett et al. J Atten Disord. 2013 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: The Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN) Rating Scale differs from previous parent reports of ADHD in that it was designed to also measure variability at the positive end of the symptom spectrum.

Method: The psychometric properties of the SWAN were tested and compared with an established measure of ADHD, the Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale (DBRS).

Results: The SWAN demonstrates comparable validity, reliability, and heritability to the DBRS. Furthermore, plots of the SWAN and DBRS reveal heteroscedasticity, which supports the SWAN as a preferred measure of positive attention and impulse regulation behaviors.

Conclusion: The ability of the SWAN to measure additional variance at the adaptive end of the ADHD symptom dimensions makes it a promising tool for behavioral genetic studies of ADHD.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Heteroscedasticity of SWAN and DBRS Total Scores at Post-K
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