Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) comprises family forms which are constructed according to the same basic idea and designed for assessing adaptive functioning and maladaptive functioning. All ASEBA forms have been constructed on the empirically based approach to taxonomy and assessment of adaptive functioning and problem behaviours. This approach is called in other words the “bottom-up”. The ASEBA includes forms for assessing adaptive and maladaptive behaviour for ages 1.5 to 90+ years. This article characterises the forms for adult persons: Adults Self-Report (ASR) and Adult Behaviour Checklist (ABCL). The questionnaires are designed for assessing adaptive behaviour and internalising problems and externalising problems. The eight empirically based scales are as follows: Anxiety/Depression, Withdrawal, Somatic Complaints, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Aggressive Behaviour, Rule Breaking Behaviour, Obsession-Compulsion. In 2003 the ASR and ABCL and the manual for them were published. This paper presents theoretical aspects of these forms, their structure and psychometric evaluation. The data are presented which refer to establishment of the reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability) and the validity (content validity, criterion-related validity and construct validity) of these two forms of ASEBA for adults. The conclusion is as follows: the Adult Self-Report and the Adult Behaviour Checklist appeared to be a reliable and valid measure to assess psychopathology in 18-59 aged persons.

assessment, taxonomy, problem behaviours, Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, adults, questionnaires