Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI)

Instrument Name: Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI)

Scale/Subscale Name: Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI)
Source: Measures for Clinical Practice and Research: A Sourcebook
Developers: Eyberg, Sheila
Year: 1990
Target Audience(s): Parents
Language other than English available: No
Type: Behavior
Data collected: Quantitative
Data collection format: Self-report Pre/post
Reading Level: Flesch-Kincaid 8.4
Existence of test/technical manuals, user guides, supplemental materials: Instrument
and further information can be found on page 438 of Measures for Clinical Practice and
Research: A Sourcebook. The primary reference for the measure is as follows:
Burns, G.L., and Patterson, D. R. (1990). Conduct problem behaviors in a stratified random
sample of children and adolescents: New standardization data on the Eyberg Child Behavior
Inventory, Psychological Assessment, 2, 391-397.
Level of training necessary for administration/scoring/interpretation: None
Widespread Use/Professional Endorsements: None
Cost of Use: No costs associated with use of this instrument.
Description:
36-item instrument which measure children and adolescents behavior problems as
reported by parents
Psychometrics:
Information on reliability and validity are provided below. If information on a particular
psychometric was not found, it is indicated as no information provided. It should be noted
that this is not necessarily an indication of a lack of reliability or validity within a particular

scale/instrument, but rather a lack of rigorous testing, for various reasons, by the developers
or other researchers.
Reliability: A correlation of at least .80 is suggested for at least one type of reliability as
evidence; however, standards range from .5 to .9 depending on the intended use and context
for the instrument
Test-Retest: Reported to have good stability
Internal Consistency: .93 for intensity and .91 for problem
Inter-rater reliability: No information provided
Validity: The extent to which a measure captures what it is intended to measure.
Content/Face Validity: No information provided
Criterion Validity: No information provided.
Construct Validity: No information provided.

Construct: Conduct Problems

Scale Name: Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI)
Developers: Eyberg, S.

Items:
Below are a series of phrases that describe childrens behavior. Please (1) circle the number
describing how often the behavior currently occurs with your child, and (2) circle either yes
or no to indicate whether the behavior is currently a problem.
How often does this occur with your child?

Never
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Seldom

Dawdles in getting dressed

Dawdles or lingers at mealtime
Has poor table manners
Refuses to eat food presented
Refuses to do chores when asked
Slow in getting ready for bed
Refuses to go to bed on time
Does not obey house rules on own
Refuses to obey until threatened with
punishment
10. Acts defiant when told to do something
11. Argues with parents about rules
12. Gets angry when doesnt get own way
13. Has temper tantrums
14. Sasses adults
15. Whines
16. Cries easily
17. Yells or screams
18. Hits parents
19. Destroys toys and other projects
20. Is careless with toys and other objects
21. Steals
22. Lies
23. Teases or provokes other children
24. Verbally fights with friends own age

Sometimes

Often

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

Always Is this a problem for

you?
6 7
Yes
No
6 7
Yes
No
6 7
Yes
No
6 7
Yes
No
6 7
Yes
No
6 7
Yes
No
6 7
Yes
No
6 7
Yes
No
6 7
Yes
No

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6

7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

25. Verbally fights with sisters and brothers

26. Physically fights with friends own age
27. Physically fights with sisters and
brothers
28. Constantly seeks attention
29. Interrupts
30. Is easily distracted
31. Has short attention span
32. Fails to finish tasks or projects
33. Has difficulty entertaining self alone
34. Has difficulty concentrating on one thing
35. Is overactive or restless
36. Wets the bed

1
1
1

2
2
2

3
3
3

4
4
4

5
5
5

6
6
6

7
7
7

Yes
Yes
Yes

No
No
No

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6

7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

Scoring:
The ECBI has two scores. The intensity score is the total frequency of occurrence for the 36
behaviors and the problem score is the total number of behaviors for which the response is
yes. There are two clinical cutting scores: 127 on intensity and 11 on problem, with higher
scores suggesting the need for treatment.