Peers, teachers and parents as assessors of the behavioural and emotional problems of twins and their adjustment: the Multidimensional Peer Nomination Inventory

Abstract

A multidimensional peer nomination inventory (MPNI; 30 items) and parallel versions--MPNI-Teacher and MPNI-Parental Rating Forms (37 items each)--were developed during a major new Finnish study of families with twins. The twins (477 girls and 467 boys) were 12 years old, representing subsets of three nationwide Finnish twin cohorts (b. 1983-1985). They were enrolled in 503 school classes, and the total number of children participating in peer nominations was 12,937. Three main factors were extracted from peer nominations and teacher and parental assessments. Intercorrelating sub-components were found, especially in parental assessments. Scales were formed, accordingly, for Behavioral Problems (including Hyperactivity-Impulsivity, Aggression, and Inattention), Emotional Problems (including Depression and Social Anxiety), and Adjustment (including Constructiveness, Compliance, and Social Activity). A framework for the development of the multidimensional inventory was a model of emotional and behavioural regulation. Peer nominations were most reliable, while parental assessments, although mostly satisfactory, were least reliable. Results provided evidence of concurrent validity of peer-referenced assessment, using teacher assessments as criteria; correlations between assessments of peers and parents were lower. The inventory has discriminative validity. Intra-pair correlations of monozygotic co-twins were higher than correlations of same-sex (SS) and opposite-sex (OS) dizygotic (DZ) co-twins for all scales across all three assessors, and peer nominations of both SS and OSDZ co-twins yielded correlations significantly greater than zero for all scales. All scales, except Depression and Social Anxiety, differentiated boys from girls.

The effects of social anxiety on alcohol and cigarette use across adolescence: Results from a longitudinal twin study in Finland.

“…Correlations for SA ratings between informants were previously found to be 0.24 to 0.32 (Pulkkinen et al, 1999). The upper panel of Table 2 presents correlations between rater reports of SA and substance use frequency measures across waves, which were negative for all measures and were strongest with peer-rated SA.…”

“…Participants in this study were from the FinnTwin12 sample (Kaprio, 2006; Kaprio, Pulkkinen, & Rose, 2002; Pulkkinen et al, 1999), a prospective longitudinal study of five sequential cohorts of Finnish twins beginning at age 12 and continuing, at present, into their mid-20s. Importantly, as the legal age for purchasing alcohol and cigarettes in Finland is age 18, this longitudinal study covers the transitional period in which participants gain independent legal access to these substances.…”

“…At age 12, peer assessments were conducted in participants’ classrooms using the Multidimensional Peer Nomination Inventory (MPNI), which has been described in detail elsewhere (Pulkkinen et al, 1999). The present study used the MPNI’s Social Anxiety subscale, which consisted of two items: “Which of your classmates are shy with other kids?” and “Which of your classmates are frightened or nervous about new things or new situations?” and had an internal consistency reliability of α = 0.68/0.81 for girls/boys (Pulkkinen et al, 1999).…”

“…The present study used the MPNI’s Social Anxiety subscale, which consisted of two items: “Which of your classmates are shy with other kids?” and “Which of your classmates are frightened or nervous about new things or new situations?” and had an internal consistency reliability of α = 0.68/0.81 for girls/boys (Pulkkinen et al, 1999). The nomination process required students to choose, from a printed list of all classmates’ names, up to three male and three female classmates that best fit the description or behavior portrayed by each item.…”

“…Parents and teachers were administered the same items, but these appeared in the form of statements rather than nominations, and they rated each behavior on a four point scale (from 0 = does not apply to 3 = applies in a pronounced way ). Internal consistency reliability was α = 0.69/0.74 for teacher reports of girls/boys and α = 0.46/0.42 for parent reports of girls/boys (Pulkkinen et al, 1999). Self-reports were not collected with this measure.…”