Development and validation of a cognitive skills questionnaire for adolescent offenders: The Cognitive Skills Questionnaire for Youth (CSQ-Y)

Abstract

The present study aimed at psychometrically validating the Cuestionario de Habilidades Cognitivas in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. A sample of 502 adolescents aged 15 to 17 years from Bachilleres # 19 high school in Ciudad Juárez participated in the study. The questionnaire was refined to 20 items based on expert judgment, followed by a pilot application. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the instrument’s structure consisting of three factors, with acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. Invariance analysis resulted in no significant differences across samples, while confirmatory factor analysis yielded a reliability coefficient alpha of .73. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure was .72, and Bartlett’s significance test with a chi-square value of 947.543 (df = 190, p < .000) explained 69% of the total variance. The model fit indices were satisfactory with a chi-square of 96.89, GFI of .94, CFI of .95, and RMSEA of .04. The study sought to identify prevalent cognitive conditions and issues among adolescents to facilitate the development of interventions and psychoeducational treatments for violence-related behavioral problems. The efficacy of the CHC questionnaire was substantiated, along with its utility in identifying cognitive scenarios in adolescents.