Development and Initial Validation of the Pathological Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Scale for Children (POPS-C)

Personality has repeatedly been shown to be evident and reliably measured in childhood. However, studying obsessive-compulsive personality (OCP) traits cohesively in youth has been limited, given the lack of developmentally modified assessments for the presentation. The current manuscript adapted an adult measure of OCP traits, the Pathological Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Scale (POPS), into a parent-report child measure (POPS-C). Study one explored factor structure and preliminary external validity with various clinical measures. Study two used a larger, independent sample to examine confirmatory factor analyses and external validity. POPS-C demonstrated good psychometric properties, with a bifactor model as best fit. The validation of a measure of OCP traits in children aged 4-9 years demonstrates that OCP traits are evident and measurable in childhood. Strong associations between POPS-C scores and negative affectivity, executive functioning deficits, elevated delay of gratification, poor emotion regulation, and psychiatric symptoms highlight the need for early assessment and intervention for youth with OCP traits.