The psychometric properties of short- version confusion, hubbub, and order scale (CHAOS)

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Turkish short form of the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS) with a representative sample of parents with children aged 3-17. Initial factor analyses suggested a potential two- factor structure; however, model fits ultimately supported a one-factor solution after exclusion the problematic item. Internal consistency analyses revealed moderate levels (α= .59), consistent with the literature and supporting the study hypothesis. Evidence for validity was assessed through correlations with family demographics, parental characteristics, and child outcomes, revealing significant associations. CHAOS scores were negatively related to SES and parental education, and positively related to home crowding. Higher CHAOS levels correlated with lower parental efficacy and well-being, reduced child prosocial behaviors, increased child problem behaviors and marital conflict. These validation analyses were conducted for both one-factor and two-factor CHAOS. The study revealed the short CHAOS's unique contribution to predicting child problem and prosocial behaviors after controlling for significant demographics, parental characteristics, and marital issues, though with small variance. As the five-item CHAOS explained only small variance in child outcomes and had relatively low reliability, it may be beneficial to use the longer version of the CHAOS to better capture the environmental quality of the home context, while the short version may be more appropriate in large projects where many questionnaires screen home environment quality.