Modified Work Behavior Inventory assessment: Evaluation of psychometric properties

Abstract

The Work Behavior Inventory (WBI) is a widely used and validated assessment of work functioning in people with schizophrenia. WBI ratings are based on workplace observation and interview with work supervisors. Workplace observation may not be acceptable in all employment settings. A WBI assessment based only on supervisor interview may offer more utility. The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of a modified WBI among individuals with schizophrenia participating in VA vocational rehabilitation programs – similar to the original WBI validation study. Results suggest evidence for reliability, validity and sensitivity to change for an interview only format. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Work performance and its clinical correlates in patients with chronic mental illness: The Chinese version of Vocational Cognitive Rating Scale and the work behavior inventory.

“…Work Behavior Inventory (Bryson et al, 1997(Bryson et al, , 1999 The WBI is a 35-item rating scale that evaluated the five domains of work performance broken down into social skills, cooperativeness, work habits, work quality, and personal presentation (Bryson et al, 1997). A modified version based on an interview with a work supervisor was shown to have good reliability (ICC 0.74-0.87) and validity (Cronbach's α .79-.90; Peer et al, 2019). Each item was rated on a 5-point Likert scale, and higher scale indicates better performance.…”

“…Better VCRS scores at baseline were correlated with more hours worked at follow-up (Greig et al, 2004). Better social skills and work quality measured by the WBI predicted longer job maintenance (Kern et al, 2018), and better work habits were correlated with higher income 6 months later (Peer et al, 2019). However, these measurements have not yet been validated outside of North America and Europe.…”