RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ) is a rating scale for measuring beha - vioral inhibition which was shown to be a risk factor of internalizing disorders. The scale was designed to measure this temperamental characteristic in both social and situational contexts. The aim of the present study is to describe the psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the BIQ. METHOD: The back-translation method was used for the adaptation. 473 parents of preschool children (aged between 3 to 7 years) filled out the Hungarian version of the BIQ, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), State- Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and a short demographic form online. The factor structure, internal consistency, con - vergent and divergent validity of the scale was examined in a cross-sectional design. We also analysed the short, 14- item version of the questionnaire. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the theoretical model with six factors. BIQ subscales showed good to very good internal consistencies (Cronbach's alphas ranging from 0,73 to 0,90). No association was found between BIQ scores and the socioeconomic or demographic characteristics. We found significant positive associations between BIQ scores and parent's trait anxiety level (r= 0,152-0,324) and the internalizing subscale of the SDQ (r = 0,345-0,613). Furthermore, significant negative associations were found between the BIQ scores and the prosocial subscale of the SDQ (r=-0,148- -0,337). No association was found between BIQ scores and the externalizing subscale of the SDQ. The short form of the questionnaire also showed a good internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the Hungarian version of the BIQ is a reliable and useful instrument for the assessment of childhood behavioral inhibition.