Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Pot 22, No. 2, 1994 Aggressivity, Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity in Boys at High and Low Risk for Substance Abuse Christopher S. Martin, 1~ Mitchell Earleywine,2 Timothy C. Blackson, 1 Michael M. Vanyukov, 1 Howard B. Moss, 1 and Ralph E. Tarter I Aggressivity, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are cardinal dimensions of externalizing behavior problems of childhood. They are diagnostic and clinical features of childhood disorders, and are thought to be linked to the subsequent development Of adult disorders such as substance abuse (SA). Little is known, however, about the convergent and discriminant validity of these four constructs. We used multiple measures to develop indices of aggressivity, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in a sample of 10- to 12-year-old boys (N = 183) with and without a family history of SA. Data were taken from mother reports, child reports, teacher reports, and laboratory tasks. The study aims were (1) to test the convergent and discriminant validity of aggressivity, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity; (2) to examine whether the data were consistent with a model specifying the four constructs as indicators of one superordinate factor; and (3) to differentiate boys with and without a family history of SA in construct scores. The results supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the four constructs~ Although discriminable, the constructs covaried strongly and were consistent with a model specifying them as indicators of a single superordinate factor. Boys with a family history of substance abuse scored higher than control boys on aggressivity, inattention, and impulsivity scores, but the groups did not differ on hyperactivity scores. The results are discussed in terms of the role of childhood behavior problems in vulnerability to SA. Manuscript received in final form August 25, 1993. This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse grant No. DA 05605. 1C.enter for Education and Drug Abuse Research, A consortium between the University of Pittsburgh and St. Francis Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. 3Address all correspondence to Christopher S. Martin, Ph.D., Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O'Hara St., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-2593. 177 0091-.o627/94/040o-0177507.0o/0 9 1994 plenum Publishing Corporation