The revised infant temperament questionnaire: Translation and psychometric testing for use in a Thai population

Abstract

Aim: To assess the applicability of the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire to a Thai population. Methods: The Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire was back-translated into Thai. The questionnaire was used for psychometric testing for 530 Thai mothers and their 4- to 11-month-old infants. Resu lts: Alpha coefficients for the 9 traits ranged from 0.20 to 0.52, and test-retest reliabilities ranged from 0.37 to 0.71. All reliabilities were compared to those reported in the original study from the United States and those from other countries. The reliabilities compared with previous studies were modest. Multicollinearity among temperament traits was also found in the present and previous studies. Conclusions: Due to its psychometric weaknesses, the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire was not suitable for use in the Thai population. Development of new temperament scale for Thai infants is encourage. © 2006 Scientific Communications International Limited.