Page Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale (CHAOS)🔗

Table Namemh_cg_chaos
ConstructFamily Organization
Study VisitsV05, V07
Administration Child-specific: Yes
Respondent: Primary Caregiver on Child
Method: Self-administered remotely (4-8 min estimated duration)
Quality Control
  • Checks for missing data based on counts for items completed by each participant
  • Verification of scoring accuracy
  • Summary statistics to examine item-level frequencies and total scores
  • Review of response distributions for potential outliers
Responsible Use Warning â–¸

The HBCD dataset includes many variables that may be important for sound and comprehensive analysis. The inclusion of additional variables will depend on the research question(s) and methodological approach. Users are encouraged to take time to explore the full range of available variables — especially those that may serve as controls, contextual indicators, confounders, mechanisms, or modifiers — to ensure thoughtful and well-supported analytic decisions. Other important considerations may include developmental functioning, broader family supports, and early adverse and protective exposures.

Please review the Known Issues & Pending Updates page for updates that may affect data use.

Instrument Details🔗

The Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS) is a 15-item, self-report scale designed to assess household chaos conceptualized as disorganization, disruption, and a chaotic atmosphere (Matheny et al., 1995; Wilhoit et al., 2021). The CHAOS is intended to measure two facets of household chaos: 1. routines and organization; 2. disorganization, confusion, and noise. It does not assess other features that have been linked to household chaos, such as shifting family structure or housing instability.

HBCD Modification Details â–¸

The original CHAOS used True/False responses (Matheny et al., 1995), but more recent work favors a 4-point Likert scale for improved sensitivity (Wilhoit et al., 2021). Empirical results suggest consistent scale validity and associations (with child cognitive/behavioral outcomes, parenting, etc.) across both formats (Andrews et al., 2021; Marsh et al., 2020). The 4-point scale is also validated in the Spanish language version of CHAOS as well (Sanchez-Mondragon & Flores Herrera, 2019).

Based on expert consensus, HBCD uses a 4-point scale with the following options:

{1 = Very much | 2 = Somewhat | 3 = A little bit | 4 = Not at all} like your own home

Scoring Procedures â–¸

The CHAOS instrument consists of 15 items, each rated on a 4-point scale to indicate how much each statement describes the participant's home environment:

{1 = Very much | 2 = Somewhat | 3 = A little bit | 4 = Not at all} like your own home

A non-response option, "Decline to Answer," is available and does not contribute to scoring.

Total score:
Calculated as the sum of all numerical item responses, excluding non-responses. Higher scores indicate a higher level of household CHAOS. If fewer than 12 items are completed (or 4 or more items are missing), a total score is not computed. If less than 25% of items are missing (≤3 items), a prorated sum score is calculated using the formula:

\[ \text{Prorated Score} = \left( \frac{\text{Sum of answered items}}{\text{Number of items answered}} \right) \times \text{15} \]

Scoring rules:

  • Scored as coded: Chaos_1, Chaos_2, Chaos_4, Chaos_7, Chaos_12, Chaos_14, Chaos_15
  • Reverse-scored (1→4, 2→3, 3→2, 4→1): Chaos_3, Chaos_5, Chaos_6, Chaos_8, Chaos_9, Chaos_10, Chaos_11, Chaos_13

References🔗

Andrews, K., Dunn, J. R., Prime, H., Duku, E., Atkinson, L., Tiwari, A., & Gonzalez, A. (2021). Effects of household chaos and parental responsiveness on child executive functions: a novel, multi-method approach. BMC Psychology, 9(1), 147. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00651-1

Edwards, R. C., Planalp, E. M., Bosquet-Enlow, M., Akshoomoff, N., Bodison, S. C., Brennan, M. B., Ciciolla, L., Eiden, R. D., Fillipi, C. A., Gustafsson, H. C., McKelvey, L. M., Morris, A. S., Peralta-Carcelén, M., Poehlmann, J., Wakschlag, L. S., Wilson, S., & HBCD Child Behavior and Caregiver-Child Interaction Workgroup. (2024). Capturing the complexity of child behavior and caregiver-child relationships in the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study using a rigorous and equitable approach. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 69, 101422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101422

Marsh, S., Dobson, R., & Maddison, R. (2020). The relationship between household chaos and child, parent, and family outcomes: a systematic scoping review. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 513. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08587-8

Matheny, A. P., Jr, Wachs, T. D., Ludwig, J. L., & Phillips, K. (1995). Bringing order out of chaos: Psychometric characteristics of the confusion, hubbub, and order scale. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 16(3), 429–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/0193-3973(95)90028-4

Sánchez-Mondragón, G., & Flores Herrera, L. M. (2019). Adaptation and validation of Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale in Mexican parents. Acta Universitaria, 29, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2019.1971

Wilhoit, S. A., Trentacosta, C. J., Beeghly, M., Boeve, J. L., Lewis, T. L., & Thomason, M. E. (2021). Household chaos and early childhood behavior problems: The moderating role of mother-child reciprocity in lower-income families. Family Relations, 70(4), 1040–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12560