Manual

Conners 4 Manual

Chapter 3: Reports

Reports

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Upon the initial release of the Conners 4, a Single-Rater Report can be generated. This report provides results from a single Conners 4 administration and includes the following:

  • The rater’s responses and scores for items and scales.
  • Details on how the ratings compare to ratings of parents/teachers of other youth or self-ratings of other youth of the same age (and gender, if requested), including an indication of which scales and items (if any) are elevated.
  • Information on the number of symptoms present (based on the DSM1 criteria) as reported by the rater.
  • Information about how each scale T-score compares to the youth’s average T-score (for the Content Scales and the Impairment & Functional Outcome Scales), if the Within-Profile Comparison is requested.
  • Comparison of scores to youth of the same age (and gender if requested) with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD if the ADHD Reference Samples are selected (see Scoring Options in this chapter).

The Multi-Rater Report combines the results of multiple raters to provide an overview of the youth’s behavior from a multi-rater perspective and highlights statistically significant inter-rater differences in scores. (Note: Single-Rater Reports need to be generated first before a Multi-Rater Report can be generated.) Specifically, this report includes the following:

  • Presents the responses and scores for items and scales for up to five raters.
  • Details potentially important inter-rater differences and similarities in scores, including an indication of which scales and items (if any) are flagged or elevated for any rater.
  • Provides all rater responses to the open-ended Additional Questions.

Additional reports will be introduced over the product lifecycle to ensure the client needs are consistently met. After initial release, the following reports will be provided:

  • The Scored Dataset provides a spreadsheet of responses and scores (of single or multiple administrations) to facilitate further statistical analyses (particularly relevant in a research setting).
  • The Progress Monitoring Report provides an evaluation of Conners 4 score changes over time for multiple administrations by the same rater (e.g., comparing baseline results with various medication dosages, or pre- versus post-intervention assessment).

Report Options

The MHS Online Assessment Center+ allows for Conners 4 reports to be easily customized according to the assessor’s needs, thereby providing the flexibility to include or exclude report elements, as well as offering various scoring options. Tables 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 provide a description of the various report elements for the Single-Rater Report, highlighting which sections can be included or excluded, allowing assessors to customize the reports to suit their individual needs. The reports have both disclosable sections and a non-disclosable section. The non-disclosable section (Items by Scale) contains test items which are copyrighted/trade secret material. Disclosure of these materials is prohibited by law. If disclosure of the report becomes necessary or is required by law, this section must be removed before any such disclosure.

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Table 3.1. Conners 4 Report Elements

Report Section

Content

Single-Rater Report

Multi-Rater Report

Disclosable Report Sections

Cover Page

Includes client and rater information, the Reference sample(s) selected, a brief description of the report, a legal disclaimer, and a cautionary out-of-age range warning (if applicable).

Standard

Standard

Overview

Provides an overall summary of scores for the Response Style Analysis, Criticala & Indicator Items, and all Conners 4 Scales (Content Scales, Impairment & Functional Outcome Scales, DSM Symptom Scales, and the ADHD Index).

Standard

‐

Response Style Analysis

and

Criticala & Indicator Items

The Response Style Analysis outlines the results of the Negative Impression Index, Inconsistency Index, Omitted Items, and Pace (provided for online administration only).

The Critical & Indicator Items section provides ratings for the Severe Conduct Critical Items, the Self-Harm Critical Items, and the Sleep Problems Indicator items, as well as brief interpretive guidelines.

Option to Exclude

Standard

Conners 4 Scalesa

Provides a table that includes raw scores, T-scores, confidence intervals, percentiles, and guidelines for each scale, as well as DSM Symptom Counts for the DSM Symptom Scales, and a probability score for the ADHD Index.

If Within-Profile Comparisons are enabled, the table also contains intra-individual comparisons for Content Scales related to ADHD symptoms, as well as the Impairment & Functional Outcome Scales.

Option to Exclude

Standard

Interpretive Summary

Provides text interpretations of the Response Style Analysis, Critical & Indicator Items, Content Scales, Impairment & Functional Outcome Scales, DSM Symptom Scales, and the ADHD Index.

Option to Exclude

‐

Additional Questions

Provides the rater’s responses to the open-ended Additional Questions.

Option to Exclude

Standard

Item Responses

Provides a table that includes the rater’s response to each item.

Option to Include

‐

Parent Feedback Handout

Provides an easy-to-understand explanation and summary of results that can be shared with parents/guardians or a third party, after obtaining appropriate consent for results to be released.

Option to Exclude

‐

Glossary

Describes the Conners 4 Scales, as well as the Response Style Analysis, Critical & Indicator Items, and interpretive guidelines for each score.

‐

Standard

Non-Disclosable Report Section

Items by Scale

Provides tables that include full item text for all scales, along with the item scores. Elevated item scores are indicated by shaded cells. For the DSM Symptom Scales, symptom counts are presented, and criterion status is indicated by checkmarks.

This section contains test items which are copyrighted/trade secret material. Disclosure of these materials is prohibited by law. In the event that disclosure of the report becomes necessary or is required by law, this section must be removed before any such disclosure.

Option to Exclude

‐

Note. Standard = the element cannot be excluded from the report; Option to Exclude = the element is included by default but can be excluded; Option to Include = the element is excluded by default but can be included. aIf the examiner excludes Self-Harm Critical items and/or DSM Conduct Disorder Symptoms Scale, these items will not appear in the report.

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Table 3.2. Conners 4–Short Report Elements

Report Section

Content

Single-Rater Report

Multi-Rater Report

Disclosable Report Sections

Cover Page

Includes client and rater information, the Reference Sample(s) selected, a brief description of the report, a legal disclaimer, and a cautionary out-of-age range warning (if applicable).

Standard

Standard

Overview

Provides an overall summary of scores for the Response Style Analysis, and all Conners 4–Short Scales (Content Scales, Impairment & Functional Outcome Scales, and the ADHD Index).

Standard

‐

Conners 4–Short Scales

Provides a table that includes raw scores, T-scores, confidence intervals, percentiles, and guidelines for each scale, and a probability score for the ADHD Index.

If Within-Profile Comparisons are enabled, the table also contains intra-individual comparisons for the Content Scales and the Impairment & Functional Outcome Scales.

Option to Exclude

Standard

Interpretive Summary

Provides text interpretations of the Response Style Analysis, Content Scales, Impairment & Functional Outcome Scales, and the ADHD Index.

Option to Exclude

‐

Additional Questions

Provides the rater’s responses to the open-ended Additional Questions.

Option to Exclude

Standard

Item Responses

Provides a table that includes the rater’s response to each item.

Option to Include

‐

Parent Feedback Handout

Provides an easy-to-understand explanation and summary of results that can be shared with parents/guardians or a third party, after obtaining appropriate consent for results to be released.

Option to Exclude

‐

Glossary

Describes the Conners 4 Scales, as well as the Response Style Analysis and interpretive guidelines for each score.

‐

Standard

Non-Disclosable Report Section

Items by Scale

Provides tables that include full item text for all scales along with the item scores. Elevated item scores are indicated by shaded cells.

This section contains test items which are copyrighted/trade secret material. Disclosure of these materials is prohibited by law. In the event that disclosure of the report becomes necessary or is required by law, this section must be removed before any such disclosure.

Option to Exclude

‐

Note. Standard = the element cannot be excluded from the report; Option to Exclude = the element is included by default but can be excluded; Option to Include = the element is excluded by default but can be included.

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Scoring Options

The following scoring options allow assessors to customize reports to suit their individual needs. Confidence Interval. The assessor can choose between a 90% (default) or 95% confidence interval to aid in the interpretation of T-scores. See appendix B for tables of the confidence interval values for Conners 4 forms. For guidance on which confidence interval level to select, see Confidence Intervals in chapter 4, Interpretation. Within-Profile Comparisons (default on). This report feature offers users a quick way to see scale scores that are significantly higher, significantly lower, or not significantly different than the individual’s average score for the Content Scales and the Impairment & Functional Outcome Scales (for more information on this comparison, see Step 3b: Examine the Profile of Conners 4 Scale Scores of chapter 4, Interpretation). The assessor can choose to turn this option off, in which case this analysis will not be included in the report. Reference Samples. The assessor can choose which reference samples to use for score comparison(s). From the set of the Normative Samples listed below, the assessor must choose one Principal Reference Sample. The assessor also has the option of choosing up to two Additional Reference Samples, which they can select from a combined list of the Normative Sample (excluding the group selected as Principal) and the ADHD Reference Sample options (see chapter 7, Standardization, for a description of the Normative and ADHD Reference Samples). The scores are compared to the reference sample(s) selected and are presented on the Overview page of the report. For the remainder of the report, the scores are compared to the selected Principal Reference Sample only. (Note: The inclusion of Within-Profile Comparisons and the Additional Reference Samples and the option to select ADHD Reference Samples are available for Conners 4 Single-Rater reports only.)

  1. Normative Sample. The assessor can choose to compare the youth’s scores to the following normative groups:
    • Normative Sample–Combined Gender (default)
    • Normative Sample Gender Specific–Males
    • Normative Sample Gender Specific–Females
  2. ADHD Reference Sample. The assessor may choose to compare the youth’s scores to the following groups of youth with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD:
    • ADHD Reference Sample–Combined Gender
    • ADHD Reference Sample Gender Specific–Males
    • ADHD Reference Sample Gender Specific–Females

Understanding Reference Samples

The Conners 4 provides a variety of reference samples to which the youth’s scores can be compared. There are two types of samples that can be selected: Normative and ADHD Reference. Within these samples, the assessor can also select whether they would prefer Combined Gender or Gender Specific (by selecting either Males or Females) comparison groups.

Normative Samples. When the Normative Sample is selected, the youth’s scores are compared to ratings of youth (by parents, teachers, and youth themselves) from the general population (i.e., composed largely of youth with no clinical disorders and, in smaller amounts, youth with clinical disorders; for details on the composition of the Normative Samples, please see chapter 7, Standardization). If Normative Sample–Combined Gender is selected, then the youth’s scores will be compared to ratings of youth the same age as the youth being evaluated, irrespective of gender. If Normative Sample Gender Specific–Males and/or Normative Sample Gender Specific–Females are selected, the youth’s scores will be compared to the ratings of youth with the same age and gender as the gender-specific group selected. Several scales on the Teacher forms have small gender differences (see Gender in chapter 10, Fairness, for detailed statistical analyses). These differences are likely reflections of true differences in teacher’s perceptions of males and females on the constructs of interest. For these gender differences to be properly preserved and reflected in the normative scores, Combined Gender norms should be used. This selection is also the recommended comparison group to select in the following scenarios: (a) the youth does not identify as either male or female (e.g., agender, gender nonconforming, gender non-binary, gender-fluid, genderqueer); (b) the youth is transgender; (c) any time “other” is indicated for gender; or (d) if gender was omitted by the rater. The gender-specific normative samples are helpful when it is important to understand if the ratings of a youth are extreme compared to other youth of the same age and a specific gender. In cases where the assessor is unsure which gender specific group to select, they have the option to select both groups at the same time to compare and aid in their evaluation.

ADHD Reference Samples. Assessors can also compare the youth’s scores to an ADHD Reference Sample. This comparison can be helpful when a youth’s scores are extreme compared to the Normative Sample and provides insight into whether the youth’s scores are similar to the profile of individuals with a known diagnosis of ADHD. This comparison provides an indication of whether the difficulties reported are lower than, similar to, or greater than what is typically reported by or for youth with ADHD and helps the clinician understand the severity of the problems reported. Like with the Normative Sample, combined gender or gender specific comparison groups can be selected.


1 Throughout this manual, DSM refers to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR, 2022).

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