Internalizing behaviors among kindergarten children: measuring dimensions of social withdrawal with a checklist.

Three studies examined whether different types of withdrawal among young children could be assessed with a short checklist. In Study 1, kindergarten teachers rated 487 children on a modified version of the Behavior Questionnaire for Two- to Six-Year-Olds (BQTSYO). Exploratory factor analyses yielded 2 withdrawal factors, Social Inhibition and Solitary Behavior, and a factor of Emotional Dysregulation. In Study 2, an adjusted version of the checklist was completed for 858 kindergartners. The 3 factors of Social Inhibition, Solitary Behavior, and Emotional Dysregulation were identified in one half of the sample and confirmed in the other. They could be measured with 3 internally consistent scales. No gender differences were found on the scales. Their content validity was supported by unique associations with teachers' free descriptions of children's behaviors in Study 3. Results suggest that the instrument is adequate for the assessment of different types of withdrawal.