Observations of families in structured interactions: Parenting therapists provide reliable ratings of mothers' parenting

Abstract

The reliability of observations of parenting by parenting therapists was assessed. An important predictor of externalizing behavior in children is quality of parenting. Data were videotapes of structured interactions in families with a child age 8-12 years referred to the evidence based Parent Management Training Oregon (PMTO) treatment program for child behavior problems. The therapists had clinical PMTO training but no training in systematic observation. PMTO observational coders with specific coder training were included as a reference for the therapists. Five therapists and two coders observed videotapes of 10 families and performed global evaluations of mothers' parenting skills. They used the coder's impression measure used in PMTO research. Scores were analyzed in a generalizability theory framework for the two groups of observers separately. Both observer types reliably rank-ordered the mothers and assessed the level of parenting skills. PMTO therapists without coder training provided reliable ratings of parenting constructs relevant to the clinical PMTO program in a manner comparable to that of the trained reference coders.

Related Papers

• → Personality correlates and utilitarian judgments in the everyday context: Psychopathic traits and differential effects of empathy, social dominance orientation, and dehumanization beliefs(2019)19 cited
• → Amount of altruistic punishment accounts for subsequent emotional gratification in participants with primary psychopathy(2011)14 cited
• → The Information Used to Judge Supportiveness Depends on Whether the Judgment Reflects the Personality of Perceivers, the Objective Characteristics of Targets, or their Unique Relationships(2004)15 cited
• → The Mental Representations Of High And Low Entitativity Groups(2003)12 cited
• Susquehanna Chorale Spring Concert "Roots and Wings"(2017)