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Validation of the ‘How I Think Questionnaire’ in a Population of French‐speaking Adolescents with Externalizing Behaviors
Author(s) -
Plante Nicolas,
Daigle Marc S.,
Gaumont Chloé,
Charbonneau Lucie,
Gibbs John,
Barriga Alvaro
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2001
Subject(s) - juvenile delinquency , psychology , poison control , suicide prevention , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , discriminant validity , occupational safety and health , population , clinical psychology , aggression , cognition , scale (ratio) , psychiatry , psychometrics , medical emergency , medicine , internal consistency , environmental health , pathology , physics , quantum mechanics
‘How I Think Questionnaire’ (HIT) is used to measure self‐serving cognitive distortions among delinquents. Previously validated on Americans, this instrument was translated, adapted and validated for French‐speaking teens. To assess convergent and discriminant validity, 336 adolescents with externalizing behaviors in Québec (Canada) completed the HIT, the Self‐Reported Delinquency Scale (SRD), and the Auto‐aggression Questionnaire. There were 165 boys and 171 girls with M age = 16.4 years (SD = 0.5) who received services under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (n = 145) or the Youth Protection Act (n = 191). HIT and SRD total scores were correlated (0.51, p < 0.01). On the HIT, past suicidal attempting delinquents were not significantly different than non‐suicide attempting delinquents; also delinquents living in closed detention facilities had more self‐serving cognitive distortions than delinquents living in open facilities or under probation in the community. This French‐language version of the HIT is a reliable and valid measure. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.