Study of the psychometric properties of the barratt impulsiveness scale (BIS-11) in children and adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify and confirm the trifactorial structure of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) proposed for adults by Patton, Stanford and Barratt (1995) in a sample of children and adolescents. The sample consisted of 600 children between of 9 and 17 years old (M = 12.9, SD = 2.3). For the factorial analysis the data were divided into two random samples. In the first subsample the Exploratory Factorial Analysis was performed, and three dimensions were identified. Subsequently, in the second subsample, Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed. The factorial solution of 19 items showed adequate fit (CFI =.909, IFI =.912, RMSEA=.043 CI [.032 −.054], χ2/gl = 1.561). The total Cronbach alpha was α =.795. Each scale has acceptable coefficients: Attentional Impulsiveness α =.641, Motor Impulsiveness α =.659 and Non-planning Impulsiveness α =.727.