TheLearningBehaviorsScale

P.A.McDermott,L.F.Green,
J.M.Francis,&D.H.Stott

DescriptionoftheLBSI
29items,eachpresentingaspecific
learningrelatedbehavior
Observerisrequiredtoindicatewhether
behaviorMostoftenapplies,Sometimes
applies,orDoesnotapply.
Someitemsindicatepositivelearning
behaviorsandothersindicatenegative
behaviorstoreduceresponsesets.

LBSDescriptionII
The29itemsprovide4subscalescores:

CompetenceMotivation(8items)
AttitudeTowardLearning(9items)
Attention/Persistence(7items)
Strategy/Flexibility(7items)

Subscalesallowfortargetedintervention
YoucanalsoobtainaglobalLBSscore

CONTEXTFOR
DEVELOPMENTI
Knowingthatastudentisbrightornotas
brightdoesnotfullyexplainperformance
Knowingastudentsintellectualcapacity
provideslimitedinformationforintervention
Whatdoyoudowhenfacedwithabright
studentwhoisnotdoingwell?

ContextforDevelopmentII
Therearebehaviorsassociatedwithlearning.
Whatbehaviorsdoyouthinkareassociatedwith
learning?
Someofthemareasfollows:

Listeningattentively
Participatinginclassroomactivities
Acceptingcorrection
Stickingtotasksuntilcompleted
Workingtopleaseteacher

ContextforDevelopmentIII
Thereisevidencethattheselearningbehaviorsare
teachable.
Idiographicdataisusefulinthisarena,buttime
consumingtogather
Wedidnothavegoodnomotheticdataonlearning
behaviors.
However,weknowthatschoolteachersare
relativelyaccurate,reliable,unobtrusive,cost
beneficialobserversofclassroombehavior,when
theyhavehadampleopportunitytoobserve.

ContextForDevelopmentIV
Inlightofthepreviousinformation,the
authorsoftheLBSsetouttodevelopascale
tomeasurelearningbehaviorsreliablyand
validlyin517yearolds,usingteacher
observation.
TheresearchworkontheLBSstartedinthe
mid1980sandthescalewaspublishedin
1999.

PreliminaryResearch
Examined
Reliabilityofsubscalescoresandtotalscorein
smallsamples.
Validityofsubscaleandtotalscoresinsmall
samples.
Createdscalethatworkedwell.

USStandardization
Sample
1,500students,750malesand750females5to
17yearsold
Used1992U.S.Censustoobtaindemographics
Blockingforsex,age,gradeinschool
Stratifiedrandomsamplingbyrace,class,
familystructure,communitysize,and
geographicregion

FinalNormSample
Race:67.7%White,15.9%Hispanic,12.1%
AfricanAmerican,4.3%othergroups.
Family:76.6%withtwoparentsorguardians,
21.3%singlemom,2.1%singledad.
RepresentationbySESbasedonparenteducation,
andexceptionality
Finalselectionwasrandomlyselectedfromthose
whogaveconsent,restrictedonlybystratification
quotasand2studentsperteacher.

TestRetestReliability(n=77)

CompetenceMotivation
AttitudeTowardLearning
Attention/Persistence
Strategy/Flexibility

.92
.91
.92
.93

InterRaterReliability(n=72)

CompetenceMotivation
AttitudeTowardLearning
Attention/Persistence
Strategy/Flexibility

.83
.83
.83
.83

InternalConsistencyI
LBSFactors

Male

Female

CompetenceMotivation

.85

.85

AttitudeToLearning

.87

.80

Attention/Persistence

.85

.80

Strategy/Flexibility

.76

.70

InternalConsistencyII
LBSFactors

511(n=817) 1217(n=683)

CompetenceMotivation

.85

.85

AttitudeToLearning

.83

.86

Attention/Persistence

.85

.84

Strategy/Flexibility

.74

.76

ValidityCoefficients

Ability
Read
Math
TRead
ADHD
Avoid.

CM
.39
.35
.36
.52
.50
.34

AL
.22
.21
.22
.47
.53
.49

AP
.27
.25
.23
.51
.70
.31

SF
.10
.12
.08
.26
.63
.09

T&TSample
TheLBSwascompletedonall700students
inthesample,withnoratermissingmore
than2items.
Thedistributionwasskewedtowardthe
higherendthatis,moststudentswererated
ashavinglearningbehaviorsinthenormal
range.

FactorAnalyses
Asisrecommended,weusedfactoranalysis
tolookatthestructuralvalidityoftheLBS
intheT&Tsample.
Weusedmultiplecriteriatodeterminehow
manyfactorswouldworkbest.
Thegoalwastofindafactorstructurethat
wasgeneralizableacrossthewholesample,
aswellasthegendersubgroups.

FactorAnalyses2
IntheUS,theLBSismadeupoffourfactors.
Weranfivefactor,fourfactor,threefactor,and
twofactormodels.
Theonlystructurethatgeneralizedfromthewhole
sampleacrossgendergroupswasthetwofactor
one(seep.8inmanualandnotepattern
coefficients).

FactorAnalyses3
FactorIconsistsof18itemsandislabeledAttitude
TowardLearning(AL).Theitemsonthisfactor
madeuptheCompetenceMotivation,Attention
Persistence,andAttitudeTowardLearning
subscalesintheU.S.structure.
FactorII,labeledStrategyFlexibility,consistedof
the7SFitemsintheU.S.norming,butof9items
inTrinidad.
TheALandSFfactorshavetwoitemsincommon
(10&14).

Table2.1
PatternCoefficientsfortheLBSFactors
AbbreviatedLBSItems
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29

Respondsinamannerthatshowsattention
Says ta
sk s
it
oo h
ard
Ef
Is re
l
uct
antt
ot
ack
l
e a
new t
as
k

I
AttitudeTowardLearning
Total

Females

Males

.551
.476
.588
.365
.586
.629

.535
.401
.564
.365
.536
.581

.556
.558
.614
.348
.623
.670

-.057
.239

-.038
.270

-.064
.188

.137

.205

.065

.068

.062

.090

.285

.287

.284

.212

.207

.210

.088

.154

.442

.443

.409

.350

.592

.225

.322

.140

.104

.355

.232

.342

.129

.341
.577

.329
.718

.329

.313

.350

-.034

.018

-.097

.030

.241

.124

.237

.027

-.146

-.152

.354

.491

.055

.353

.470
.363
.486
.547

.415
.437
.574
.591

.520
.291
.422
.515
-.035

St
i
cks t
o at
as
k
A dopt
sa o
dn
t care
t
t
i
t
a
ude otsucces
s
See
ms t
ot
ake refu
ge n
ii
ncom pet
enc
e
.109
Fol
l
ow s pec
ul
i
ar or
nfle
ixi
bleproce
dure
s
.491
Show s l
i
t
t
le ed
si
re t
o plea
se you
.241
Is unw i
l
l
i
ng t
o acce
pthel
p
.333
R es
ponds w i
t
hout at
ki
ng suff
i
cie
ntt
i
me
.654
C ooperate
si
n c
l
as
s ac
t
i
vi
t
ie
s
.147
B ur
st
si
nt
ot
ear
s
-.149
H as en
t
erpr
i
si
ng i
deas hic
w h don
tw or
k
out
.428
Is di
strac
t
edt
oo ea
si
l
y
.232
Fi
dget
s,squi
rm s,le
aves seat
.077
G et
s a
ggre
ssi
veorhost
i
le
.611
Is veryhes
i
ta
nt ab
outgi
vi
ng a
n answer
.642
Show s l
i
t
t
le ed
ter
minat
i
on o
tcomp le
t
et
as
ks
.161
U se
s headac
hesorot
her pa
i
ns a
s an xcu
e se
.334
Is w i
l
l
i
ng t
o be he
l
ped
.393
Is t
oo l
ac
ki
ng n
iener
gy o
tbe ntere
i
ste
d
.056
R el
ie
s on pers
onal c
har
m
.035
Invent
s si
l
l
y ways of
goi
ng a
boutt
as
ks
.112
D oesn
tw or
k wel
l if
i
n a ba
d mo od
.693
Show s a l
i
vel
y ntere
i
sti
n lear
ni
ng
.325
Trie
s hardbut c
once
ntra
t
i
on soon fade
s
.020
C arr
i
es ut
ot
as
ks accor
di
ng t
o o
wn i
dea
s
.679
A ccep
t
s ne
w ta
sks w i
t
houtfear
.470
D ela
ys an
sweri
ng

II
StrategyFlexibility
Total

Females

Males

.037

.111

.678
.517

.597
.739

-.055

-.092

.242

.330

.164

.095

.218

.418

.530

.318

.202

.012

.014

.014

.400

.430
.393

.145

.137

.146

.076

.040

-.006

.088

.421
.651
.444

.478
.592
.503

.373
.681
.405

-.134

.043

.026

.173

.657
.357

.718
.304

-.048
.244

.287

.211

.043

.026

.520

.462

.553

.582
.520

.759
.449

-.089

-.112

-.057

.123

.142

.101

AttitudeTowardLearningItems
Respondsinamannerthatshowsattention
Saystaskistoohardwithoutmakingmuchefforttoattemptit
Ef
Isreluctanttotackleanewtask
Stickstoataskwithnomorethanminordistractions
Adoptsadontcareattitudetosuccessorfailure
Seemstotakerefugeindullnessorincompetence
Showslittledesiretopleaseyou
Respondswithouttakingsufficienttimetolookatproblemorworkoutasolution
Cooperatesinclassactivitiessensibly
Isdistractedtooeasilybywhatisgoingonintheclassroom,orseeksdistractions
Isveryhesitantaboutgivingananswer
Showslittledeterminationtocompleteatask,givesupeasily
Iswillingtobehelpedwhenataskprovestoodifficult
Istoolackinginenergytobeinterestedinanythingortomakemucheffort
Showsalivelyinterestinlearningactivities
Trieshardbutconcentrationsoonfadesandperformancedeteriorates
Acceptsnewtaskswithoutfearorresistance
Delaysansweringinthehopeofpickingupahint

StrategyFlexibility
Followspeculiarorinflexibleproceduresintacklingtasks
Respondswithouttakingsufficienttimetolookaproblemorworkoutasolution
Hasenterprisingideaswhichoftendontworkout
Isdistractedtooeasilybywhatisgoingonintheclassroom,orseeksdistractions
Fidgets,squirms,leavesseatunnecessarily
Getsaggressiveorhostilewhenfrustratedorwhenworkiscorrected
Usesheadachesorotherpainsasanexcuseforevadinglearningtasks
Reliesonpersonalcharmtogetotherstofindsolutionstoproblems
Inventssillywaysofgoingabouttasks
Doesntworkwellifinabadmood
Carriesouttasksaccordingtoownideasratherthanintheacceptedway

Letslookatreliabilityestimates
fortheT&Tscores
Table2.2
ReliabilityofLBSSubscaleScores

Sample
Total
Boys
Girls
Africa
n
East n
Idian
M ixed
Infant1
Infant2
Standard 1
Standard 2
Standard 3
Standard 4
Standard 5

Attitude
Toward Strategy Total
Learning Flexibility Score
.90
.91
.89
.91
.90
.89
.89
.91
.90
.91
.92
.87
.90

.81
.81
.81
.83
.77
.81
.75
.82
.83
.79
.78
.77
.86

.91
.92
.90
.92
.90
.90
.90
.92
.91
.91
.91
.88
.92

ReliabilityandValidityEvidence
Reliability estimates for scores on the total scale
wereconsistentlyhighacrossallsubgroups.
Reliabilityestimatesforsubscalescoreswerevery
highforFactor1andmoderateforFactorII.
Noreliabilityestimatesfellbelow.75.
There were no statistically significant differences
betweengenders,amongethnicgroups,oramong
gradelevels.

Administration
Speaktoteacherwhohasseenstudentsfor
atleast6schoolweeksor30days.
Askteachertoratethestudentasaccurately
aspossible.
Lettheteacherknowthatthisinformation
willhelpinyourassessmentofthestudent.
Teachershouldrateallresponses.
Willrequire5to10minutestocomplete.

Scoring
Usescoringtemplatetocompleterawscorefor
eachdimension.
RawscoresforFactor1(AL)rangefrom0to36.
RawscoresforFactorII(SF)rangefrom0to18.
RawscoresonTotalScalerangefrom0to54.
PutrawscoresinboxesonScoreSummarysheet.
Convertrawscoresto%tilesusingtableonp.10.
Alwaysdoublecheckyourscoring.

InterpretationI
ScoresontheLBSshouldbeonlyonepart
ofabroaderpsychoeducationalevaluation.
Higherscoresrepresentthepresenceof
morelearningbehaviors.
Studentswhoobtainscoresatorabovethe
40thpercentilearedisplayinglearning
behaviorsatorabovetheaveragerange.

InterpretationII
Studentswhoselearningbehaviorsarebetween
the20thand40thpercentilesarestudentswhomay
benefitfrominterventionsaimedatincreasing
theirlearningbehaviorsingeneral.
Studentswhosescoresfallbelowthe20th
percentilearemanifestingdeficitsinlearning
behaviorsandmaybenefitfromimmediate
interventions.

LetsPractice