Agreement between parent- and self-reports of Algerian adolescents’ behavioral and emotional problems

Journal of Adolescence 34 (2011) 977–986

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Agreement between parent- and self-reports of Algerian adolescents’ behavioral and emotional problems Djaouida Petot a, *, Leslie Rescorla b, Jean-Michel Petot a a b

Département de Psychologie, Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense University, 200 avenue de la République, 92001 Nanterre Cedex, France Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College101N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, USA

a b s t r a c t Keywords: Algeria Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Parent-adolescent agreement Youth Self-Report (YSR)

The present study examined agreement between scores obtained from self-reports of behavioral and emotional problems obtained from 513 Algerian adolescents on the Youth Self-Report (YSR) with scores obtained from reports provided by their parents on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The correlations between self- and parent-report were larger than those observed in many other cultures (e.g., intraclass correlation coefficient ¼ 0.60 and Pearson r ¼ 0.65 for Total Problems). On the whole, cross-informant agreement did not vary significantly as a function of problem type, identity of the parental informant, gender and age of the adolescent. Similar to all studied cultures, adolescents on average reported more problems than their parents reported about them, but the discrepancies were smaller than in all previous societies. Mean YSR/CBCL score discrepancies indicated higher YSR scores for several scales, but variability across dyads was large, and many dyads showed the opposite pattern. Ó 2010 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background It is well-established that problems such as depression, substance abuse, conduct problems, and eating disorders increase during adolescence (Arnett, 1999). Research in numerous Western cultures has also clearly demonstrated relatively modest agreement between parents and their adolescent children with respect to reports of the adolescents’ behavioral and emotional problems (Achenbach, McConaughy, & Howell, 1987; De Los Reyes & Kazdin, 2005). However, parent–adolescent cross-informant agreement has not been widely studied in non-Western cultural contexts, such as Muslim countries. In Western cultures, adolescents spend increasing amounts of time with their peers and less time with their parents, although recent research suggests that many young people are still very connected with their family of origin while still seeking peer companionship (Laible, Carlo, & Raffaelli, 2000; O’Koon, 1997). In Muslim countries, such as Algeria, anthropologists have shown that relationships between mothers and children are very close throughout development and remain so when children become adolescents (Addi, 1994; Lacoste-Dujardin, 1996; Tillion, 1966). Furthermore, the adolescent experience differs starkly by gender. For this reason, parent–adolescent agreement on behavioral and emotional problems might be higher in Muslim countries and might differ more by gender than in Western countries. The present study tested these hypotheses using data collected with adolescents and their parents in Algeria.

* Corresponding author. Tel./fax: þ33140977504/158. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (D. Petot), [email protected] (L. Rescorla), [email protected] (J.-M. Petot). 0140-1971/$ – see front matter Ó 2010 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.11.011

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Cross-informant agreement research As early as 1987, a meta-analysis of >100 studies conducted in Western countries using many instruments indicated a mean Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.25 between children’s self-reports and parent-reports (Achenbach et al., 1987), with agreement between children and others generally higher than that between adolescents and others. De Los Reyes and Kazdin (2005) commented that modest cross-informant agreement is one of the most robust findings in developmental psychopathology. Agreement on overcontrolled, internalizing problems has sometimes been lower than agreement on undercontrolled, externalizing problems (Angold et al., 1987; Breton et al., 1999). However, when using a structured interview, Breton et al. (1999) and Grills and Ollendick (2003) reported findings in the opposite direction. Many studies of cross-informant agreement have used parallel forms from the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA), such as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991a; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) completed by parents or surrogates and the Youth Self-Report (YSR; Achenbach, 1991b; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) completed by youths aged 11 or more. In both the 1991 and 2001 versions of these instruments, eight syndrome scales were derived by factor analysis of item ratings. Second-order factor analysis yielded two broad-band factors, labeled Internalizing and Externalizing. The 2001 versions of the CBCL and YSR also contain six DSM-oriented scales that comprise items selected on the basis of their consistency with particular diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Association’s (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual – 4th Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Agreement between the CBCL and the YSR has been measured in two main ways. Correlations between self-report and parent-report scores indicate the degree to which youths who report many problems are also reported by their parents to have many problems. In contrast, comparisons of mean scores based on self-reports and parents’ reports indicate if one type of informant reports more problems. Research using these two approaches to testing cross-informant agreement is summarized below. CBCL–YSR correlational findings Correlations between the YSR and the CBCL have varied somewhat across studies, but rs are often larger than the mean of 0.25 found in the meta-analysis by Achenbach et al. (1987), which covered a wide range of instruments. Although Achenbach and Edelbrock (1987) reported YSR/CBCL rs of 0.31 for boys and 0.34 for girls for the original YSR, Achenbach and Rescorla (2001), reported mean rs of 0.48 for empirically based scales (range of 0.37–0.56) and of 0.44 for DSM-oriented scales (range of 0.39–0.48) for the 2001 revision. Findings from other cultures have varied but have often been in the range reported by Achenbach and Rescorla (2001). For example, Verhulst and van der Ende (1992) reported CBCL-YSR rs that ranged from 0.27 (Thought Problems) to 0.56 (Somatic Complaints) among Dutch adolescents. The mean of rs for syndrome scales was 0.48 and the r for Total Problems score was  _ _ Malinauskiene, _ and Krataviciene_ _ Pilkauskaite-Valickienn e, 0.54. Sourander, Helstelä, and Helenius (1999) and Zukauskien e, (2004), who used the CBCL and the YSR with a Finnish sample and a Lithuanian sample respectively, found a similar patterning of rs, with the highest r on Somatic Complaints. However, van der Ende and Verhulst (2005) reported lower correlations (mean r about 0.30) in a large sample of non-referred Dutch adolescents. Most recently, Achenbach and Rescorla (2007) reported that CBCL–YSR cross-informant rs for 20,309 dyads from 19 cultures were 0.42 for Total Problems, 0.41 for Internalizing, and 0.45 for Externalizing, from 0.29 (Thought Problems) to 0.42 (Aggressive Behavior, Rule-Breaking Behavior) for syndromes, and from 0.33 (DSM-Anxiety Problems) to 0.42 (DSM-Conduct Problems) for DSM-oriented scales. However, parent-adolescent rs were not reported separately by culture. Levels of correlation on some scales seem to vary more with gender than with age. For example, Verhulst and van der Ende (1992) found that correlations on Anxious/Depressed and Thought Problems were higher between parents and girls than between parents and boys. No consistent age differences were found in any of the above-mentioned CBCL/YSR studies. CBCL–YSR mean score comparison findings The few studies comparing mean CBCL and YSR scores have indicated that self-reported problem scores tend to be higher than parent-reported scores (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001; Begovac, Rudan, Skocic, & Filipovic, 2004; van der Ende & Verhulst,  2005; Sourander et al., 1999; Verhulst & van der Ende, 1992; Zukauskien e_ et al., 2004). YSR Total Problems scores have generally been higher than CBCL Total Problems scores despite the fact that CBCL scores are based on more problem items than YSR scores, because 14 problem items on the CBCL are replaced on the YSR by items tapping positive qualities. However, Rescorla et al. (2007b) found that adolescents also reported significantly more problems than their parents reported about them when YSR and CBCL Total Problems scores from 19 cultures were calculated using only the 98 items common to the two checklists. Rescorla et al. were not able to further explore YSR-CBCL discrepancies, because the data they analyzed were not yoked by parent-child dyad. Findings from several studies suggest that YSR–CBCL discrepancies may vary by gender. For example, in Achenbach and Rescorla’s (2001) U.S. normative sample, the YSR–CBCL discrepancy for Total Problems scores was smaller for boys (33.4  22.9 ¼ 9.7) than for girls (37.9  22.0 ¼ 15.9). Cohen’s (1988) ds computed on these discrepancies, using the pooled YSR–CBCL standard deviation (SD), were 0.51 for boys and 0.78 for girls. Gender differences in YSR–CBCL discrepancies have been found in all cultures studied so far. For example, Verhulst and van der Ende (1992) reported gender differences in

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YSR–CBCL Total Problems score discrepancy in the Netherlands. However, they did not mention the exact means and standard deviation for each gender. Much larger YSR–CBCL discrepancies for girls than for boys have been reported in Croatia by Begovac et al. (boys: 34.3  21.5 ¼ 12.8. d ¼ 0.76; girls: 39.8  20.2 ¼ 19.6. d ¼ 1.17) and in Finland by Sourander et al. (boys: 29.8  16.6 ¼ 13.2, d ¼ 0.86; girls: 38.6  17.0 ¼ 21.6; d ¼ 1.40). In a few studies, parent–child discrepancies increased with age  for both Internalizing and Externalizing scales (Verhulst & van der Ende, 1992; Zukauskien e_ et al., 2004). The only exception to this pattern of YSR scores being generally higher than CBCL scores was reported by Ferdinand, van der Ende, and Verhulst (2006), who did not find YSR scores to be higher than CBCL scores in a clinically referred sample. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the distribution of CBCL–YSR score discrepancies in a non-referred, school-based sample. That is, previous studies have not reported the percentage of dyads in which CBCL scores exceed YSR scores and the percentage of dyads in which YSR scores exceed CBCL scores. Adolescence in Algeria The present study examined cross-informant agreement between parents and adolescents in Algeria. Because CBCL–YSR agreement has not been hitherto studied in a Muslim country such as Algeria, and because the adolescent experience is quite different in Algeria than in Western countries, this research has important implications for multicultural understanding of parent-adolescent agreement regarding adolescent psychopathology. As noted earlier, anthropologists have commented on the very close bond between mothers and their adolescent children in Algeria. This close mother–child relationship is most marked with adolescent girls, as mothers have the responsibility to control sexual activity of their daughters, and especially to ascertain that they remain virgins. As a result, girls must spend most of the time within the familial environment and mothers have much information about their daughter’s behaviors. In Algeria, adolescent boys have more freedom than adolescent girls, and their interactions with peers are less controlled. However, boys’ affective dependence to their mothers remains strong. Algerian and French sociologists have especially emphasized that this affective closeness between mothers and sons, which lasts a lifetime, is very characteristic of North African culture. When boys become adults, their mothers have the prerogative to choose when and whom they will marry. Mothers seeking a wife for their son enter in negotiation with mothers of putatively suitable girls. Therefore, marriages of daughters as well of sons are decided by mothers. After marriage, girls will leave their parents’ home, but sons almost always still live with their parents, which secures the prolongation of the mother/son closeness (Addi, 1994; Lacoste-Dujardin, 1996). Aims of the study Because no previous cross-informant studies have been conducted in developing countries with a Muslim population, the current study provides an important addition to findings on parent–adolescent agreement obtained in other cultures. Because of the Algerian family practices affecting adolescents summarized above, we hypothesized that parent–adolescent agreement would be greater overall and would show more pronounced gender differences in Algeria than have been found in other cultures. Cross-informant agreement on the YSR versus the CBCL was examined using both correlations and CBCL–YSR score discrepancies. The present study of CBCL and YSR scores for Algerian adolescents had four major aims: (1) to compare levels of parent– adolescent correlational agreement in this Algerian sample with those reported for Western cultures, (2) to test the effects of type of problem, identity of CBCL informant, and gender and age of the adolescent on parent–adolescent correlational agreement; (3) to compare CBCL–YSR score discrepancies in this Algerian sample relative to findings in other samples; and (4) to test the effects of type of problem, identity of CBCL informant, and gender and age of the adolescent on CBCL–YSR score discrepancies.. Method Participants The study was conducted in 2005 and 2006 in Algiers, the capital of Algeria (North Africa), a city with more than 3,000,000 inhabitants. As described by Petot, Petot, and Achenbach (2008), the adolescents, ages 12–18, attended seven secondary schools located in the Western-Central part of the Algiers metropolitan area. Adolescents in the seven participating schools were given an envelope containing a CBCL that they were asked to pass on to their parents, as well as a YSR that they were asked to fill out independently. Adolescents were explicitly told that they should complete the checklist independently of their parents, and vice versa. Because many adolescents were worried about confidentiality, it was important to assure them that neither parents nor teachers would see their completed forms. The fact that their completed YSR forms often contained handwritten comments of a sensitive nature suggests that they believed confidentiality was assured. Additionally, the consent letter to the parents asked them to fill out the form independently, to seal it in the envelope provided, and to give it to their adolescent to turn in at school. From the 900 envelopes distributed to students, 779 completed CBCLs were returned (87%) and 735 completed YSRs were returned (82%). These overall response rates are quite high and comparable to those reported in Rescorla et al.’s (2007a, 2007b) multicultural comparison of CBCLs from 31 societies and YSRs from 24 societies. From the returned forms, 38

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CBCLs (5% of received forms) and 31 YSRs (4% of received forms) were discarded as invalid because >8 items were blank. Parents and youths were asked to use the same pseudonym for the adolescent. However, these instructions concerning the pseudonym were not well followed, so 161 CBCLs (82 boys, 79 girls) and 124 YSRs (90 boys, 34 girls) that could not be matched had to be excluded. This yielded 580 dyads (779-38-161 ¼ 580 CBCLs, 735-31-124 ¼ 580 YSRs). These 580 dyads represented 74% of received CBCLs and 79% of received YSRs. As more boys than girls overlooked the instructions concerning the pseudonym, more girls than boys were included in the 580 dyads (219 vs. 361). To test whether adolescents whose YSRs could not be matched to a CBCL due to a mismatched pseudonym differed from adolescents whose YSRs could be matched, t tests were calculated between CBCL Total Problems scores and between YSR Total Problems scores for the two groups, separately by gender. None of the differences was significant. Mean CBCL Total Problems scores for unmatched versus matched boys were 31.6 and 34.6, t ¼ 1.10, df ¼ 299, p ¼ 0.27, and mean YSR Total Problems scores for the unmatched versus matched boys were 43.2 and 43.7, t ¼ 0.18, df ¼ 307, p ¼ 0.85. Similarly, mean CBCL Total Problems scores for unmatched versus matched girls were 35.5 and 38.5, t ¼ 1.20, df ¼ 438, p ¼ 0.23, and mean YSR Total Problems scores for the unmatched versus matched girls were 43.6 and 46.0, t ¼ 0.61, df ¼ 393, p ¼ 0.54. For the 580 matched dyads, most CBCLs were completed by mothers (381/580 ¼ 66%), but a substantial number were also completed by fathers (132/580 ¼ 23%). The remainder was completed by both parents together (36/580 ¼ 6%), or by other relatives (31/580 ¼ 5%). Because of the small number of dyads in the latter two groups, they were excluded from all further analyses. Thus, the final sample comprised 513 dyads, 381 mother/youth and 132 father/youth pairs. Socioeconomic status (SES) for these 513 dyads was classified into four categories based on paternal occupation: (1) Upper: ministers, members of parliament, executive civil servants, executive managers and directors, university professors, professionals (154 ¼ 30%); (2) Upper middle: middle management, teachers (134 ¼ 26%); (3) middle: storekeepers and craftsmen (70 ¼ 14%); (4) lower: clerks, employees, and workers (66 ¼ 13%). For 89 dyads (17%), SES was unknown because 63 fathers had no occupation listed, 21 fathers were retired and had no former occupation listed, and 5 fathers were deceased. Relative to the general population of Algiers, these 513 dyads had larger percentages of SES 1 and 2 and lower percentages of SES 3 and 4 classes. This is consistent with the section of Algiers in which the secondary schools were located, which is a relatively affluent section of the metropolitan area. However, the distribution of these 513 dyads across the four SES levels was similar to the SES distribution of the dyads excluded because of missing data, pseudonym mismatch, or completion of the CBCL by both parents or another relative. However, the percentage of dyads with unknown SES was larger in the excluded than the included dyads (42% vs. 17%, c2 ¼ 50.01, df ¼ 1, p < 0.0001). Measures Algerians speak an Arabic dialect which is not written, and many Algerians cannot read written classical Arabic well. However, most educated Algerians have a good knowledge of French, all Algerian children and adolescents study French in schools, and youths attending secondary schools express themselves fluently in French. Therefore, we used Fombonne’s (1997; Fombonne et al., 1988) French translation of the pre-2001 CBCL and Capron, Verhulst, and van der Ende’s (2005) version of the 2001 YSR (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2007). The 2001 versions of the CBCL and YSR contain six new items that replaced previous items from earlier versions. The CBCL (Achenbach, 1991a; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) is completed by parents or parent surrogates of children and adolescents aged 6–18 years. It contains 20 items dealing with adaptive/competence behaviors and 119 items dealing with behavioral and emotional problems (plus one final open-ended item). Problem items are rated as follows on the basis of the preceding 6 months: 0 ¼ not true (as far as you know), 1 ¼ somewhat or sometimes true, and 2 ¼ very true or often true. The YSR, completed by adolescents aged 11–18 years, comprises 105 problem items that match CBCL items and 14 positive qualities items. The YSR rating format is like that of the CBCL, except that “as far as you know” is omitted. Because Fombonne’s French translation of the pre-2001 CBCL did not contain the six new items added in 2001, the 2001 version of the CBCL/YSR syndromes analyzed in this study did not include these six items, the procedure followed by Rescorla et al. (2007a) in a comparison of CBCL scores for 31 cultures. Thus, these six items, the open-ended item 56h dealing with “other” somatic problems and the CBCL open-ended final item, plus the 14 CBCL items replaced on the YSR with positive qualities items, were omitted from all analyses, leaving 98 items common to the CBCL and YSR to be used in all analyses. As described by Achenbach and Rescorla (2001), three syndromes (Withdrawn/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, and Anxious/Depressed) comprise the Internalizing scale, whereas two others (Rule-Breaking Behavior and Aggressive Behavior) comprise the Externalizing scale. The three remaining syndromes (Social Problems, Thought Problems, and Attention Problems) do not belong to either of these broad-band scales. All problem items are summed to obtain the Total Problems score. The DSM-Oriented scales are Affective Problems, Anxiety Problems, Somatic Problems, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems, Oppositional Defiant Problems, and Conduct Problems. Two additional scales reflective of DSM diagnostic categories (Obsessive-Compulsive Problems and Post-traumatic Stress Problems) described by Achenbach and Rescorla (2007) were also analyzed in this study. Data analysis Because all previous research analyzing CBCL–YSR cross-informant agreement has used Pearson’s rs, we also used rs so that our findings could be compared with previous findings. However, some researchers argue that intraclass correlation

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coefficients (ICCs) are a better measure of agreement between different raters. Therefore, in this study, we also calculated ICCs between parallel scales from the CBCL and YSR, based on the 98 items common to both instruments. We used Fisher’s z transformation to compare rs for subgroups in our sample, consistent with practice in previous CBCL–YSR studies. As we made 16 independent comparisons with multicultural rs, bilateral a for these analyses was posited at 0.05/ 16 ¼ 0.003, with the corresponding z value of 2.96. We applied the same Bonferroni adjustment for the 16 independent pairwise comparisons between dyads on the three independent between-subject variables: identity of the CBCL informant (mother vs. father), youth’s gender (male vs. female) and age. Because the median age was 16 years, we divided the sample into two age groups, “younger adolescents,” comprising youths aged 12–15 years and “older adolescents,” comprising youths aged 16–18. As in other CBCL and YSR studies with non-referred samples, scale scores were positively skewed because most children had relatively few problems. However, the ANOVA and MANOVA models used in this study are robust with respect to deviations from normalilty, especially with large samples (Kirk, 1995). Therefore, consistent with previous studies (Rescorla et al., 2007a, 2007b), we analyzed untransformed scores. Mean discrepancies between informants on all scales scores were analyzed using 2  2  2  2 mixed model analyses of variance (ANOVAs), with informant (self vs. other) as the within-dyad factor and identity of CBCL informant (mother ¼ 381, father ¼ 132), youths’ gender, and age (12–15 vs. 16–18) as betweensubjects factors. Effect sizes were evaluated using h2, and differences between subgroups’ means were evaluated using Cohen’s (1988) ds computed using the pooled YSR–CBCL standard deviation (SD). As we made 16 independent ANOVAs, each yielding 4 F tests, a for these analyses was posited at 0.05/64 ¼ 0.0008. Results Correlational agreement between parents and adolescents Table 1 presents the ICCs, their 99% confidence interval, and the Pearson rs between CBCL and YSR scales based on the 98 items in common. For the analyzed sample of 513 dyads, all ICCs were significant (0.61 for Total Problems, 0.59 for Internalizing, and 0.55 for Externalizing, from 0.49 to 0.57 for the eight empirically based syndromes, and from 0.40 to 0.57 for the DSM-oriented scales). The corresponding rs, which were slightly higher, were medium to large according to Cohen’s (1988) criteria. Cross-informant rs were slightly higher in scales that have more items and hence higher alphas (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001), such as Total Problems, Internalizing, and Externalizing, but across all scales, cross-informant rs had a relatively narrow range (from 0.46 on DSM-Obsessive-Compulsive Problems to 0.66 on Total Problems). Fisher’s z was used to test whether these Algerian rs were significantly higher than those reported by Achenbach and Rescorla (2007) for a sample of 20, 309 drawn from 19 diverse cultures. Results of all tests were significant at p < 0.003. Correlations did not vary with the type of problem, nor were they significantly affected by the identity of adult informant of the CBCL. As shown in Table 1, mother/adolescent ICCs (N ¼ 381) were generally larger than father/adolescent ICCs (N ¼ 132). However, Fisher’s z tests with the Bonferroni corrected a yielded only one significant difference. Specifically, the r for mothers/adolescents on DSM-Conduct Problems of 0.58 was significantly higher than the r for fathers/adolescents of 0.31, t ¼ 3.34, p < 0.003. There were no gender or age effects on correlations. As displayed in Table 1, the magnitudes of ICCs and rs were roughly similar across genders and age groups, although there was a slight and nonsignificant increase with age on Total Problems, Internalizing, and Thought Problems. YSR–CBCL mean score discrepancies Because YSR scores were generally higher than CBCL scores, mean score discrepancies were calculated by subtracting the CBCL score from the YSR score within each dyad. Negative discrepancy scores thus indicate that the CBCL score was higher than the YSR score. As showed in Tables 2 and 3, mean YSR scores were significantly higher than mean CBCL scores for 15 out of 19 scales. In the 2  2  2  2 ANOVA for Total Problems, the YSR–CBCL discrepancy for Total Problems score (38.1  30.6 ¼ 7.5) was highly significant, F(1, 505) ¼ 73.21, p ¼ 0.0000, h2 ¼ 0.127, d ¼ 0.40, with no significant interactions with identity of informant and adolescents’ gender or age. This indicates that, on average, YSR Total Problems scores were higher than CBCL Total Problems scores, regardless of the identity of the informant or the gender and age of the adolescent. However, there was great variability across dyads not only in the magnitude but also in the direction of their CBCL–YSR Total Problems score discrepancy, as reflected in a SD of 15.5 and a range from 54 to þ89. CBCL scores were higher than YSR scores for 28% of the 513 dyads. The 10% percent of dyads with the most extreme reverse YSR–CBCL discrepancies (i.e., CBCL > YSR) had discrepancies ranging from 54 to 9. Conversely, for the 10% of dyads with the most extreme discrepancies in the expected direction, discrepancies ranged from þ27 to þ89. In the ANOVA for Internalizing scores (14.4  12.8 ¼ 1.6), the discrepancy effect was significant, F(1, 505) ¼ 14.85, p ¼ 0.0001, h2 ¼ 0.03, d ¼ 0.21, and there were no significant interactions. The SD was 6.9, the range was 26 to þ32, and 39% of dyads had a higher CBCL score than YSR score. For the 10% most extreme dyads in the reverse direction, CBCL scores exceeded YSR scores by 26 to 7 points. For the 10% most extreme dyads in the expected direction, YSR scores exceeded CBCL scores by þ10 to þ32 points. For Externalizing scores (11.8  8.5 ¼ 3.3), the discrepancy effect was significant and moderate, F (1, 505) ¼ 111.00, p ¼ 0.0000, h2 ¼ 0.18, d ¼ 0.51, and no interactions were significant. The SD for Externalizing discrepancy was 5.7, the range was 18 to þ31, and 21% of dyads had higher CBCL scores than YSR scores. For the 10% most extreme dyads in the reverse

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Table 1 Correlations between CBCL and YSR informants according to the nature of dyads. Mother/youth dyads

Father/youth dyads

Parent/girl dyads

Parent/boy dyads

Parent/younger adolescent dyads (12–15 years)

Parent/older adolescent dyads (16–18 years)

n ¼ 513 ICC [99%CI], r

n ¼ 381 ICC [99%CI], r

n ¼ 132 ICC [99%CI], r

n ¼ 308 ICC [99%CI], r

n ¼ 205 ICC [99%CI], r

n ¼ 258 ICC [99%CI], r

n ¼ 255 ICC [99%CI], r

0.61 [0.39, 0.75], 0.66 0.59 [0.50, 0.67], 0.61 0.55 [0.23, 0.73], 0.62 0.52 [0.39, 0.63], 0.56 0.52 [0.43, 0.60], 0.52 0.57 [0.48, 0.64], 0.57 0.50 [0.39, 0.60], 0.53 0.49 [0.33, 61], 0.53 0.50 [0.40, 0.58], 0.51 0.53 [0.36, 0.66], 0.58 0.50 [0.23, 0.68], 0.57 0.57 [0.39, 0.69], 0.61 0.47 [0.35, 0.57], 0.49 0.56 [0.48, 0.63], 0.56 0.40 [0.05, 0.63], 0.51 0.49 [0.39, 0.58], 0.61

0.61 [0.37, 0.75], 0.66 0.57 [0.46, 0.66], 0.59 0.56 [0.21, 0.75], 0.64 0.51 [0.36, 0.62], 0.54 0.49 [0.38, 0.58], 0.50 0.59 [0.49, 0.67], 0.59 0.53 [0.39, 0.63], 0.55 0.50 [0.33, 0.63], 0.54 0.51 [0.40, 0.61], 0.52 0.55 [0.34, 0.69], 0.61 0.51 [0.22, 0.69], 0.58 0.58 [0.41, 0.70], 0.62 0.44 [0.30, 0.56], 0.46 0.58 [0.48, 0.66], 0.58 0.40 [0.02, 0.63], 0.51 0.49 [0.37, 0.60], 0.51

0.50 0.56 0.40 0.49 0.54 0.43 0.32 0.37 0.39 0.39 0.37 0.42 0.49 0.45 0.40 0.37

[0.24, 0.68], 0.55 [0.39, 0.70], 0.58 [0.12, 0.60], 0.46 [0.28, 0.65], 0.52 [0.36, 0.68], 0.54 [0.22, 0.59], 0.43 [0.11, 0.51], 0.34 [0.15, 0.56], 0.42 [0.19, 0.56], 0.40 [ 0.18, 0.57], 0.41 [0.09, 0.58], 0.43 [0.16, 0.61], 0.48 [0.29, 0.64], 0.51 [0.26, 0.61], 0.46 [0.08, 0.63], 0.49 [0.16, 0.55], 0.37

0.60 [0.36–0.74], 0.64 0.56 [0.44–0.65], 0.57 0.52 [0.23–0.70], 0.59 0.48 [0.33–0.60], 0.51 0.52 [0.41–0.62], 0.53 0.55 [0.44–0.65], 0.55 0.44 [0.30–0.56], 0.46 0.50 [0.33–0.64], 0.54 0.51 [0.36–0.63], 0.54 0.51 [0.34–0.64], 0.55 0.45 [0.24–0.61], 0.52 0.56 [0.37–0.69], 0.60 0.42 [0.27–0.55], 0.44 0.53 [0.41–0.63], 0.53 0.34 [0.01- 0.57], 0.44 0.42 [0.29–0.54], 0.44

0.63 [0.37–0.78], 0.68 0.60 [0.46–0.71], 0.62 0.58 [0.19–0.77], 0.66 0.54 [0.35–0.67], 0.58 0.47 [0.32–0.60], 0.47 0.57 [0.43–0.68], 0.57 0.59 [0.43–0.70], 0.61 0.47 [0.27–0.62], 0.51 0.48 [0.32–0.60], 0.48 0.54 [0.30–0.70], 0.60 0.56 [0.19–0.75], 0.64 0.54 [0.33–0.69], 0.59 0.48 [0.32–0.62], 0.51 0.61 [0.48–0.71], 0.61 0.48 [0.10–0.71], 0.59 0.58 [0.44–0.69], 0.59

0.54 [0.37–0.67], 0.58 0.52 [0.40–0.63], 0.53 0.54 [0.26–0.71], 0.60 0.47 [0.32–0.60], 0.50 0.52 [0.40–0.63], 0.52 0.51 [0.38–0.62], 0.51 0.44 [0.30–0.56], 0.45 0.39 [0.23–0.53], 0.42 0.45 [0.31–0.57], 0.46 0.46 [0.28–0.60], 0.50 0.51 [0.26–0.67], 0.56 0.50 [0.34–0.62], 0.53 0.44 [0.29–0.56], 0.45 0.53 [0.40–0.63], 0.53 0.41 [0.08–0.63], 0.52 0.44 [0.31–0.57], 0.45

0.63 [0.27–0.80], 0.71 0.60 [0.45–0.71], 0.63 0.55 [0.16–0.75], 0.63 0.53 [0.36–0.66], 0.57 0.45 [0.31–0.58], 0.47 0.60 [0.49–0.70], 0.60 0.54 [0.33–0.68], 0.58 0.53 [0.30–0.69], 0.58 0.53 [0.41–0.64], 0.55 0.55 [0.34–0.70], 0.61 0.49 [0.15–0.70], 0.57 0.57 [0.31–0.73], 0.62 0.47 [0.30–0.60], 0.50 0.58 [0.47–0.68], 0.58 0.39 [-0.01-0.64], 0.50 0.51 [0.34–0.64], 0.55

0.50 [0.35, 0.61],0.54 0.43 [0.31, 0.54], 0.46

0.53 [0.37, 0.66], 0.58a 0.41 [0.27, 0.53], 0.44

0.29 [0.08, 0.48], 0.31a 0.47 [0.27, 0.63], 0.48

0.43 [0.31–0.56], 0.47 0.41 [0.27–0.53], 0.44

0.52 [0.28–0.68], 0.59 0.45 [0.26–0.60], 0.49

0.45 [0.29–0.59], 0.49 0.40 [0.24–0.53], 0.42

0.51 [0.34–0.63], 0.56 0.41 [0.25–0.54], 0.44

0.53 [0.44, 0.61], 0.54

0.51 [0.39, 0.61], 0.53

0.50 [0.31, 0.65], 0.50

0.53 [0.41–0.63], 0.54

0.51 [0.36–0.63], 0.52

0.46 [0.32–0.57], 0.46

0.55 [0.40–0.66], 0.58

Note. In each cell, the first number is the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), followed by the 99% confidence interval lower and upper bounds between square brackets. ICCs printed in boldface are significant (p < 0.01). The last number, printed in italics, is the Pearson’s moment-product correlation coefficient. a rs significantly different between mother/adolescent and father/adolescent dyads, p < 0.003.

D. Petot et al. / Journal of Adolescence 34 (2011) 977–986

Total problems Internalizing Externalizing Anxious/depressed Withdrawn Somatic complaints Social problems Thought problems Attention problems Rule-breaking behavior Aggressive behavior DSM-affective problems DSM-anxiety problems DSM-somatic problems DSM-AD/HD problems DSM-oppositional problems DSM-conduct problems DSM-obsessive-compulsive problems DSM-post-traumatic stress problems

All dyads

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Table 2 Discrepancies between CBCL and YSR scores according to the identity of CBCL informant. All dyads

Mother/adolescent dyads

n ¼ 513

n ¼ 381

YSR

Total problems Internalizing Externalizing Anxious/depressed Withdrawn Somatic complaints Social problems Thought problems Attention problems Rule-breaking behavior Aggressive behavior DSM-affective problems DSM-anxiety problems DSM-somatic problems DSM-AD/HD problems DSM-oppositional problems DSM-conduct problems DSM-obsessive-compulsive problems DSM-post-traumatic stress problems

CBCL

d

M (SD)

M (SD)

38.1 14.4 11.8 7.1 4.1 3.2 4.3 3.7 3.9 3.1 8.6 5.5 3.6 1.8 4.7 2.6 3.4 4.4 7.9

30.6 12.8 8.5 5.8 3.7 3.2 3.4 2.6 3.4 2.2 6.3 4.2 2.9 1.8 3.0 2.2 2.2 3.5 7.0

(19.8) (8.2) (6.9) (4.5) (2.6) (2.8) (3.1) (3.3) (2.4) (2.8) (4.9) (3.9) (2.2) (2.1) (2.9) (2.1) (3.6) (3.1) (4.7)

(17.8) (7.4) (6.1) (3.7) (2.6) (2.9) (2.9) (2.8) (2.6) (2.3) (4.4) (3.3) (2.0) (2.1) (2.3) (1.9) (2.9) (2.5) (4.2)

YSR

0.40a 0.21a 0.51a 0.31a 0.14 0.01 0.28a 0.38a 0.21a 0.38a 0.51a 0.36a 0.30a 0.01 0.69a 0.22a 0.34a 0.31a 0.20

n ¼ 132 CBCL

M (SD)

M (SD)

41.0 15.6 12.7 7.6 4.5 3.4 4.6 4.0 4.1 3.4 9.2 6.0 3.9 2.0 5.0 2.9 3.7 4.7 8.6

33.2 13.8 9.2 6.3 4.0 3.6 3.7 2.9 3.6 2.4 6.8 4.7 3.2 2.1 3.1 2.3 2.5 3.7 7.5

(20.1) (8.4) (7.1) (4.7) (2.7) (2.8) (3.2) (3.4) (2.5) (2.9) (5.0) (4.0) (2.2) (2.1) (2.9) (2.1) (3.7) (3.2) (4.9)

Father/adolescent dyads

d

(18.3) (7.6) (6.3) (3.8) (2.7) (3.0) (3.0) (2.9) (2.6) (2.3) (4.6) (3.3) (2.1) (2.2) (2.4) (1.9) (2.9) (2.6) (4.3)

YSR

0.41a 0.21a 0.52a 0.32a 0.18 0.04 0.29a 0.37a 0.21a 0.40a 0.50a 0.35a 0.32a 0.05 0.72a 0.26a 0.36a 0.33a 0.25a

CBCL

M (SD)

M (SD)

29.5 11.1 9.2 5.6 3.1 2.4 3.3 2.7 3.2 2.3 7.0 4.3 2.8 1.4 4.0 1.8 2.5 3.5 5.8

23.0 9.7 6.3 4.5 3.0 2.2 2.6 1.6 2.8 1.6 4.7 2.9 2.2 1.2 2.6 1.6 1.6 2.9 5.6

(16.2) (6.8) (5.9) (3.5) (2.1) (2.6) (2.7) (2.8) (2.2) (2.4) (4.2) (3.3) (2.1) (2.0) (2.6) (1.7) (3.1) (2.3) (3.5)

(13.8) (5.7) (5.1) (2.9) (2.3) (2.4) (2.2) (2.1) (2.2) (2.1) (3.6) (2.5) (1.7) (1.7) (2.1) (1.5) (2.6) (2.2) (3.5)

d

0.43a 0.22 0.53a 0.34 0.04 0.09 0.27 0.43a 0.20 0.33 0.57a 0.47a 0.27 0.14 0.60a 0.13 0.31 0.26 0.06

Note. For each type of dyad, the numbers indicates the YSR and CBCL means and standard deviation between brackets, followed by the Cohen’s d between YSR and CBCL means, which is printed in italics. a d is significant, p < 0.0008.

direction, CBCL scores exceeded YSR scores by 18 to 3 points. For the 10% most extreme dyads in the expected direction, YSR scores exceeded CBCL scores by þ10 to þ31 points. In the ANOVAs for the eight empirically based syndromes, CBCL–YSR discrepancies were significant for Anxious/ Depressed (d ¼ 0.31), Social Problems (d ¼ 0.28), Thought Problems (d ¼ 0.38), Attention Problems (d ¼ 0.21), Rule-Breaking Table 3 Discrepancies between CBCL and YSR scores according to the gender and age of adolescents. Girls

Boys

Younger adolescents 12–15 years

Older adolescents 16–18 years

n ¼ 308

n ¼ 205

n ¼ 258

n ¼ 255

YSR

CBCL

M (SD)

M (SD)

d

YSR

CBCL

M (SD)

M (SD)

d

YSR

CBCL

M (SD)

M (SD)

d

YSR

CBCL

M (SD)

M (SD)

Total problems 39.4 (19.5) 32.1 (17.7) 0.40 36.0 (20.0) 28.4 (17.8) 0.40 33.0 (18.0) 27.2 (16.5) 0.34 43.2 (20.3) 34.1 (18.4) Internalizing 15.9 (8.4) 14.3 (7.7) 0.21 12.1 (7.4) 10.5 (6.3) 0.23 12.1 (7.2) 11.1 (6.9) 0.14 16.7 (8.5) 14.5 (7.5) Externalizing 11.4 (6.2) 8.5 (5.7) 0.50 12.4 (7.9) 8.5 (6.7) 0.53 10.5 (6.4) 7.8 (5.8) 0.47 12.9 (7.2) 9.2 (6.4) Anxious/depressed 8.0 (4.6) 6.6 (3.8) 0.32 5.8 (4.0) 4.6 (3.1) 0.34 6.2 (4.0) 5.0 (3.3) 0.31 8.1 (4.7) 6.6 (3.9) Withdrawn 4.5 (2.7) 4.0 (2.7) 0.15 3.6 (2.4) 3.2 (2.3) 0.13 3.3 (2.3) 3.2 (2.4) 0.02 5.0 (2.7) 4.3 (2.7) Somatic complaints 3.5 (2.9) 3.6 (3.0) 0.03 2.7 (2.5) 2.6 (2.7) 0.02 2.7 (2.5) 2.9 (2.9) 0.07 3.7 (2.9) 3.6 (2.9) Social problems 4.4 (3.1) 3.6 (2.8) 0.30 4.1 (3.3) 3.2 (3.0) 0.27 3.6 (2.9) 3.1 (2.7) 0.17 5.0 (3.2) 3.7 (3.0) 3.0 (3.0) Thought problems 3.8 (3.4) 2.7 (2.8) 0.37 3.5 (3.2) 2.4 (2.7) 0.39 3.0 (3.0) 2.1 (2.4) 0.34 4.4 (3.4) Attention problems 3.8 (2.3) 3.1 (2.5) 0.31 4.0 (2.5) 3.8 (2.7) 0.07 3.6 (2.5) 3.1 (2.65) 0.23 4.1 (2.3) 3.7 (2.6) Rule-breaking behavior 2.8 (2.4) 2.0 (2.0) 0.35 3.6 (3.3) 2.4 (2.6) 0.42 2.6 (2.4) 1.8 (1.9) 0.38 3.7 (3.1) 2.6 (2.6) Aggressive behavior 8.6 (4.6) 6.4 (4.3) 0.49 8.7 (5.3) 6.1 (4.7) 0.53 8.0 (4.8) 6.0 (4.4) 0.45 9.3 (4.9) 6.6 (4.5) DSM-affective problems 6.1 (4.0) 4.7 (3.4) 0.36 4.7 (3.5) 3.5 (2.9) 0.38 4.5 (3.6) 3.4 (2.9) 0.31 6.6 (3.9) 5.1 (3.4) DSM-anxiety problems 4.0 (2.2) 3.3 (2.1) 0.33 2.9 (2.1) 2.4 (1.8) 0.28 3.1 (2.1) 2.6 (1.9) 0.27 4.0 (2.2) 3.3 (2.0) DSM-somatic problems 2.0 (2.2) 2.1 (2.2) 0.01 1.5 (1.8) 1.5 (2.0) 0.01 1.5 (2.0) 1.7 (2.1) 0.08 2.1 (2.1) 2.0 (2.1) DSM-AD/HD problems 4.6 (2.8) 2.7 (2.2) 0.75 4.9 (3.0) 3.3 (2.4) 0.61 4.5 (3.0) 2.9 (2.3) 0.64 4.9 (2.7) 3.0 (2.4) DSM-oppositional 2.6 (2.0) 2.1 (1.8) 0.26 2.6 (2.3) 2.2 (2.0) 0.18 2.3 (2.0) 2.0 (1.8) 0.15 2.9 (2.2) 2.3 (1.9) problems 2.5 (3.4) 0.43a 2.9 (3.1) 1.9 (2.6) 0.34 3.8 (4.1) 2.6 (3.1) DSM-conduct problems 2.8 (2.9) 2.1 (2.5) 0.28a 4.1 (4.3) DSM-obsessive-compulsive 4.6 (3.2) 3.8 (2.5) 0.28 4.0 (2.8) 3.1 (2.3) 0.37 3.7 (2.6) 3.0 (2.3) 0.30 5.0 (3.3) 4.1 (2.6) problems DSM-post-traumatic 8.5 (5.0) 7.5 (4.4) 0.20 7.0 (4.2) 6.2 (3.7) 0.21 6.8 (4.1) 6.2 (4.0) 0.13 9.0 (5.1) 7.8 (4.2) stress problems

d 0.47 0.28 0.55 0.33 0.26 0.05 0.39 0.42 0.19 0.39 0.56 0.44 0.35 0.04 0.75 0.30 0.35 0.34 0.27

Note. For each type of dyad, the numbers indicates the YSR and CBCL means and standard deviation between brackets, followed by the Cohen’s d between YSR and CBCL means, which is printed in italics. a d for boys is significantly higher than d for girls, p < 0.0008.

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Behavior (d ¼ 0.38), and Aggressive Behavior (d ¼ 0.51). For the DSM-oriented scales and 2007 scales, there were significant discrepancies on Affective Problems (d ¼ 0.36), Anxiety Problems (d ¼ 0.30), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems (d ¼ 0.69), Oppositional Defiant Problems (d ¼ 0.22), Conduct Problems (d ¼ 0.34), and Obsessive-Compulsive Problems (d ¼ 0.31). As shown in Table 3, no interactions were significant for syndromes or DSM-oriented scales, except for a significant discrepancy  gender interaction on DSM-Conduct Problems, F(1, 505) ¼ 13.53, p ¼ 0.0002, h2 ¼ 0.026, which indicated that discrepancies between self- and parent-report were significantly larger for boys (d ¼ 0.43) than for girls (d ¼ 0.28). In sum, aside from this single significant effect, neither identity of adult CBCL informant nor adolescents’ gender or age had significant influence on the level of CBCL/YSR discrepancies for any problem scale. Discussion Larger parent–adolescent correlations on adolescents’ behavioral and emotional problems were obtained in this Algerian urban upper- and middle-class sample than have typically been found in non-referred samples in other cultures. Fisher’s z tests indicated that all rs (ranging from 0.65 for Total Problems to 0.46 for Obsessive-Compulsive Problems) were higher than those reported by Achenbach and Rescorla (2007) for 20,309 dyads in 19 cultures. One reason that parent–adolescent correlations may have been greater in this Algerian sample than has been found in most other cultures is that Algerian mothers typically have a very close relationship with their adolescent children, particularly their daughters. Another reason rs in this sample may have been so high is that scores on both the CBCL and the YSR were very high in this Algerian non-referred sample (Petot et al., 2008). The means obtained in this sample were very near those obtained by Achenbach and Rescorla (2001) and Ferdinand et al. (2006) for referred samples. Additionally, correlations obtained in this Algerian sample were rather similar to those reported by Ferdinand et al. (2006) for a Dutch referred sample (mean r ¼ 0.59 for the eight empirically based syndromes). High problem scores may mean that the adolescents’ problems are quite obvious, which might lead to larger cross-informant correlations. An important finding of this study is that there was little variation in ICCs and rs according to type of problem. For example, the rs on Internalizing and Externalizing were virtually identical (0.60 and 0.61, respectively) and rs ranged from 0.46 to 0.60 across all the narrow-band scales. In addition, notwithstanding a slight tendency for rs between mothers and adolescents to be larger than rs between fathers and adolescents, after Bonferroni adjustment, the difference between rs reached statistical significance only on DSM-Conduct Problems. This finding is contrary to what was expected based on the anthropological model of a rather “fusional” relationship between Algerian mothers and their children, characterized by great intimacy, a tendency toward overvaluation of boys, and strong maternal control of the adolescent’s life, especially for girls. The fact that we did not find rs between mothers and adolescents to be significantly higher than rs between fathers and adolescents may be due to the fact that Algerian culture and familial relationships have somehow changed since Algerian sociologists and French anthropologists described them. This also may be a consequence of the urban upper- and middle-class families studied, who may have been less likely to strictly adhere to traditional ways of life than the Algerian families studied in the past by Algerian sociologists and French anthropologists. Although we had predicted greater gender differences in CBCL–YSR agreement than found in previous studies (Verhulst & van der Ende, 1992) due to the differences in adolescent expectations for Algerian girls versus Algerian boys, we did not find any effects of gender or age on correlations in this Algerian sample. YSR scores were significantly higher than CBCL scores for Total Problems, which is consistent with the finding reported by Rescorla et al. (2007b) based on data for 19 countries. Rescorla et al. (2007b) did not report CBCL–YSR differences for other scales, but in this Algerian sample, YSR scores were significantly higher than CBCL scores on Internalizing, Externalizing, six out of eight empirically based syndrome scales, and six out of eight DSM-oriented scales. The d for Total Problems YSR–CBCL discrepancy in the present study (0.40) was smaller than ds reported for adolescents in the U.S. (d ¼ 0.51 for boys and 0.78 for girls; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001), Croatia (d ¼ 0.76 for boys and 1.17 for girls; Begovac et al., 2004), and Finland (d ¼ 0.86 for boys and 1.40 for girls; Sourander et al., 1999). The smaller discrepancy in Algeria might reflect the great intimacy between Algerian adolescents and their parents. However, it might also reflect the wide variations in YSR–CBCL discrepancies and the presence of substantial numbers of dyads with discrepancies in the opposite direction (i.e., CBCL > YSR) found in this Algerian sample. Because distributions of CBCL–YSR discrepancies have not been reported in other studies, we cannot determine if the distributions obtained in this study are typical of other cultures. Thus, examination of distributions of CBCL–YSR discrepancies in different cultures merits further research. YSR–CBCL discrepancies varied according to problem type. In contrast to reports from other cultures of greater discrepancy for Internalizing than for Externalizing problems (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001; Begovac et al., 2004; Sourander et al., 1999), we found larger YSR–CBCL discrepancies for Externalizing problems. Moreover, CBCL scores exceeded YSR scores for 39% of dyads for Internalizing but only 22% for Externalizing. That is, many Algerian parents rated their children higher on Internalizing problems than their children rated themselves, which may reflect Algerian parents’ tendencies to remain extremely protective of their adolescent children. Additionally, many Algerian parents rated their adolescent children lower on Externalizing problems than adolescents rated themselves. YSR/CBCL discrepancies were not related to either the gender or age of adolescents in this Algerian sample. For example, the Cohen’s d for Total Problems (0.40) was the same for boys and girls, contrary to findings of significant and large differences

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in the U.S. (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001), the Netherlands (Verhulst & van der Ende, 1992), Croatia (Begovac et al., 2004), and Finland (Sourander et al., 1999). The lack of effect of age on discrepancy is more similar to previous studies, as age differences  have been found in only two studies (Verhulst & van der Ende, 1992; Zukauskien e_ et al., 2004). Limitations of the study An important limitation of our study is that our sample overrepresented upper- and middle-class families because it was conducted in a relatively affluent sector of Algiers. Had we sampled across the entire metropolitan area, our sample would have been more representative. Additionally, we were not able to obtain a representative sample for the entire country. Thus, the generalizability of our findings is limited to Algerians from middle- to upper-SES urban backgrounds. Because previous research has indicated a positive association between SES and problem scores (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2007), it is probable that our CBCL and YSR scores would have been even higher had we sampled the full SES range in the country. It is also important to note that Algerian norms from a representative national general population sample have not been obtained for the CBCL and YSR. Thus, we cannot determine how the scores obtained for this urban middle- to upper-SES sample would compare to Algerian national norms. Furthermore, validation studies for the CBCL and YSR in Algeria are needed, such as a study testing scores for a non-referred versus a clinical sample. In addition, it is likely that parents who did not feel comfortable reading French were unwilling or unable to complete the CBCL. Thus, our findings cannot be generalized to Algerians who do not have much education and thus are unable to read French. An additional limitation is that we had more girls than boys in our sample. This is partly because in Algeria more boys than girls stop attending school as soon as it is legally possible, so that girls are in the majority after 16 years. However, it is also the case that more dyads containing boys than containing girls had to be excluded due to mismatched pseudonyms. Although only 580 out of 741 CBCL and 704 YSR records could be matched for this study, there were no significant differences between unmatched and matched dyads on CBCL or YSR score or in SES distribution. Therefore, it appears that the matched dyads were representative of Algerian urban upper- and middle-class families. However, unmatched dyads had a larger percentage of fathers for whom occupation information was missing. Had more complete occupation information been available in both matched and unmatched dyads, SES differences might have been observed. Another limitation is that the present study was based on only 98 items common to the CBCL and YSR, because the six new items introduced in 2001 were not included in Fombonne’s translation of the CBCL. However, previous research (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) has indicated strong correspondence between pre-2001 and 2001 versions of the CBCL, suggesting that the results of the present study would have been comparable if all 104 items common to the 2001 CBCL and YSR had been used. Finally, a more conceptual or philosophical limitation of our work must be acknowledged. We cannot determine from the high CBCL and YSR scores obtained in this sample that the level of behavioral and emotional problems is really higher in middle to upper class adolescents in Algiers than in other societies. This is because high scores may be more related to cultural tendencies to disclose or even to exaggerate problems than to actual problem levels. However, the issue of multicultural variation in scores is very complex (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2007), and it is not apparent how one would determine what the actual level of problems in a sample is, independent of the judgments of people rating those problems. Thus, ratings of problems by necessity reflect some unknown combination of “objective” and “subjective” reality. Implications Behavioral and emotional problems manifested by adolescents growing up in Western cultures have been widely studied. Much less research has been conducted on behavioral and emotional problems manifested by adolescents growing up in developing countries where the majority of the population is Muslim. The adolescent experience in Algeria is very different from that in Western countries. Findings from the current study indicate some important differences in patterns of agreement between Algerian adolescents and their parents with regard to the adolescent’s behavioral and emotional problems relative to findings reported from other cultures. Specifically, parent–adolescent agreement was greater than in most previous studies. As in other cultures, YSR scores were generally higher than CBCL scores, but the differences were smaller than previously reported, and CBCL scores exceeded YSR scores in roughly one-quarter to one-third of dyads. As YSR–CBCL discrepancies have not been widely studied, it is unknown whether this pattern would be found in other cultures. Finally, the present study confirms the importance of obtaining information from multiple informants when conducting clinical assessments with adolescents, due to the fact that parents and their adolescents do not manifest complete agreement on the adolescents’ behavioral and emotional problems. Because the CBCL and YSR yield the same scales, they make cross-informant comparisons between adolescents and their parents easy to perform. Whether concordance versus discrepancy between parents and adolescents reports is associated with any clinically relevant variables is an important topic for future research. Acknowledgments This work was supported by a grant from the Scientific Council of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense University. The authors are grateful to the following people who actively helped the gathering of data in Algeria: teachers Mrs. Chahïda Oussedik, Mrs.

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