Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale🔗
| Name | Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale (CHAOS) |
| Table Name | mh_cg_chaos |
| Construct | Family Organization |
| Study Visits | V05, V07 |
| Type | Remote Questionnaire (Parent on Child; 4-8 min) |
| Quality Control |
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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.
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).
The 15 CHAOS items are rated on a 4-point scale: 1 = Very much, 2 = Somewhat, 3 = A little bit, 4 = Not at all (like your own home). "Decline to Answer" is available and is not scored.
The total score is calculated as the sum of all numerical item responses, excluding non-responses. Higher scores indicate a higher level of household CHAOS. Note that the following items are reverse-scored 1→4, 2→3, 3→2, 4→1): chaos_003, chaos_005, chaos_006, chaos_008, chaos_009, chaos_010, chaos_011, chaos_013 (remaining items are scored as coded).
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:
Prorated score = (Sum of answered items / Number of items answered) * 15
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