Why was the Total Problems score used as the basis for selecting Group 1, 2 and 3 societies for the problem scale norms?

Answer: The sum of ratings on all the problem items is analogous to the general intelligence dimension (g factor) found in analyses of the items and scales of intelligence tests. The items comprising all the problem scales are included in the Total Problems score, which tends to be among the strongest discriminators between individuals referred for mental health services and demographically similar non-referred peers (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2003). The Total Problems score thus provides an efficient basis for grouping societies according to ratings of the broad spectrum of problems assessed by the ASR and ABCL