The BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form: Evidence for a Unidimensional Interpretation Among Chinese Youth

The BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form (BESS-3-SF; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2015) is a 28-item screening tool for behavioral and emotional risks among children and youth. In this study, we tested if the 26 items from the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Self Report of Personality-Third Edition (BASC-3-SRP) could function as BESS-3-SF as a screening tool among Chinese youth. Data were collected with BASC-3-SRP from 1,186 adolescents (Male: 35%) in 10 schools, which were randomly and evenly divided into two samples: Sample A and Sample B. We first conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with Sample A, and then a first-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a bifactor CFA with Sample B. EFA and first-order CFA suggested a five-factor structure. Bifactor analysis indicated variance explained by the general factor reached the threshold for a unidimensional interpretation. Results also suggested that cultural factors (e.g., relationship with teachers) might need to be considered in further examination of BESS-3-SF among Chinese youth. Together, our findings suggest that BESS-3-SF is a promising tool for screening general behavioral and emotional risks among Chinese youth. Our findings also contribute to the literature regarding the dimensionality of the BESS forms.