Degree Name

MA (Master of Arts)

Program

Psychology

Date of Award

12-2003

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Peggy J. Cantrell

Committee Members

Jon B. Ellis, Jesse Woody Johnson

Abstract

Parent-child interaction could arguably be the most important factor in child development, including academic achievement, behavior, and personality. This study suggests that the quantity of parent-child interaction is just as important as quality, and we test the reliability and validity of our instrument developed to quantitatively measure parent-child interaction in the home under realistic conditions. Twenty-eight children’s parents participated in the study over four days. Eight families had two research observers complete the instrument simultaneously with them, and reliability measures were taken between parents (74%), parent and one research-observers (78%), and two research observers (97%). Validity measures yielded scores of 78% for parents and 77% for colleagues. This study’s instrument was shown to be a simple and strongly reliable instrument for measuring children’s after-school activities and a reliable way to measure parent-child interactions indirectly, avoiding a social desirability response set.

Document Type

Thesis - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS