developmental methodologies

Question 1

what are the challenges to the assessment of socio-emotional problems in children

Answer 1

1. Rapid developmental transitions
2. Lack of data integration that come from different sources and methods
3. Difficulty determining the level of impairment and functioning

Question 2

what factors affect children’s accurate responding

Answer 2

	Age
	Interviewing techniques
	Response formats
	Phrasing or complexity of questions
	Factual information versus abstract concepts

Question 3

Methodological issues a researcher has to decide

Answer 3

 Presence of observer (issues with reactivity)
 Type of task (structured versus unstructured)
 Location of observations (laboratory or participant’s home).

Question 4

Coding categories

Answer 4

 Exhaustive- Include all the behaviours
 Mutually exclusive- Behaviours can be classified as falling into only one category
 Reliable- Agreement between two or more observers

Question 5

Examples of questionnaires

Answer 5

Parenting Stress Index
 10 to 15 min
 3 scales.

Alabama Parenting Questionnaire
 8 to 12 years
 10 to 15 min
 3 scales.

Question 6

What are screening questionnaires

Answer 6

 How often a behaviour occurs or how representative is
 Cut-offs are used to assign a risk status
 Can be biased by parents’ mood or attributions of child’s behaviour
 Caution when used in different cultures.

Question 7

examples of screening questionnaires

Answer 7

Child Behaviour Checklist
	18 to 60 months
	Parent or caregiver
	15 to 20 min
	3-point scale
	Cut-off available.

	Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment
	12 to 36 months
	Parent or caregiver
	30 min to complete
	3 point scale
	Cut offs for age and sex.

Question 8

Selected cognitive ability measures

Answer 8

Bayley Scales of Infant Development
 1 to 42 months
 Assess behaviour during testing
 Mental and PsychoMotor Developmental.

Mullen Scales of Early Learning
	0 to 68 months
	Expressive and receptive language
	Visual reception
	Fine and gross motor.

Question 9

Selected attachment measures

Answer 9

The Strange Situation
 Lab assessment
 9 to 18 months.

Attachment Q-Set
 Home assessment
 1 to 5 years.

Manchester Child Attachment Story Task
 Home assessment
 4 to 8 years.

Question 10

Preschool Five Minute Speech Sample

Answer 10

	Initial Statement
	Warmth
	Emotional over-involvement
	Relationship
	Critical comments
	Negative comments

Question 11

what is initial statement

Answer 11

	First thought expressed by the parent which is specifically about their child
	Global Rating
	0=Positive relationship
	1=Neutral relationship
	2=Negative relationship.

Question 12

what is warmth

Answer 12

	Intensity of sentiment or feeling which parent expressed about their child. This is based on tone, spontaneity, concern and empathy.
	Global Rating
	0=High warmth
	1=Moderate warmth
	2= low warmth.

Question 13

what is relationshop

Answer 13

	This assesses the quality of the relationship and joint activities undertaken between parent and child. This is based on parents’ reports of the relationship and reports that the parent enjoys and values time spent with the child.
	Global Rating
	0=Positive relationship
	1=Neutral relationship
	2=Negative relationship.

Question 14

what is Emotional over-involvement (EOI)

Answer 14

	This assesses the level of emotional relationship between parent and child. This is based on self sacrificing/over-protective behaviour and lack of objectivity.
	Global Rating
	0=Low rating of EOI
	1=Moderate rating of EOI
	2=High rating of EOI.

Question 15

what are critical comments

Answer 15

 Frequency count of statements which criticise or find fault with the child based on tone and critical phrases

Question 16

Initial statement – Coding assessment

Answer 16

 This statement is rated independently of the remainder of the speech sample.
 Don’t score if parent starts by saying “Five minutes is a long time”, “I don’t know if I can talk for five minutes”.
 But any information about the child is considered as initial statement

Question 17

Positive initial statement assessment

Answer 17

 There are two types of positive initial statement:
 Positive descriptions. This is a statement that expresses praise, approval or appreciation for the behaviour or personality of the child (she is bright, he is very sociable).
 Positive relationships. An initial statement scored as a positive relationship indicates that the parent and child have a good relationship (e.g., “Kim and I get on really well together”).

Question 18

coding warmth assessment

Answer 18

 It is important to consider:
 Tone of voice
 Spontaneity
 Concern and empathy.

Tone of voice
 It is the most important criterion on which to base a rating. Be alert for:
 Signs of enthusiasm when parent is talking about the child
 Positive changes in tone when parent switches from talking about neutral subjects to talking about their child.
 Monotonic speech is evidence of lack of warmth.
 Consider the parent’s normal tone of voice and pitch.
 Don’t interpret facial expressions or other non-verbal behaviours.

Question 19

High concern and empathy assessment

Answer 19

 The parents’ ability to demonstrate concern for the child, to see things from the child’s point of view, understand what the child is going through.
 “He has difficulty concentrating, I mean it isn’t really a problem now but I do worry about how he is going to get on when he gets to school next year” (concern).
 “She loves Tots TV, but she isn’t able to sit still, she is so distracted, then she gets upset when she realises that she has missed it. I can’t imagine what is must be like to want to do something but to not be able to do it”.

Question 20

Three important caveats relevant to the coding of warmth

Answer 20

 Parental depression – this information should be discounted when rating warmth. Even depressed people should be capable of expressing warmth.

 Critical comments – The frequency of critical comments should not be allowed to influence ratings of warmth.

 Stereotyped endearments – “pet”, “poppet” are often used by parents to describe their children in a stereotyped way and are not necessarily evidence of warmth.

Question 21

codign critical comments

Answer 21

 It is important to consider:
 Tone – It is possible to score critical comments based on tone, even if the content of the statement doesn’t contain a critical content. It is important to remember to code conservatively.
 Critical phrases- This is frequency count of statements that criticise or find fault with the child. Generally descriptive words of a negative trait that the child has aggression or irritability and typically stated in a negative tone.

 Included in this category are also other descriptions of the child’s behaviour which are accompanied by a negative tone or indication that the parent doesn’t like or approve of the behaviour.
 Do not code stereotyped descriptions of children unless they are accompanied by a negative tone (“he can be a monkey”).

Question 22

High versus low Expressed Emotion assessment

Answer 22

 More critical than positive comments.

 At least one negative categorical behaviour (negative initial statement or low warmth or negative relationship).

Question 23

Ethical issues in conducting research with children

Answer 23

The investigator should use no research procedure that may harm the child either physically or psychologically. The investigator is also obliged at all times to use the least stressful procedure whenever possible (SRCD Ethical Standards for Research with Children).