Chapter 7: Methods For Assessing Parent–Child Interactions in Large-Scale Studies

Assessing the quality of parent–child interactions (PCI) through observation has been a mainstay of developmental research since the mid-20th century (Maccoby, 1992). Early attachment researchers used naturalistic observations of mothers’ interactions with infants to identify how mothers’ affective responses influenced the mother-infant relationship (Ainsworth, 1969; Bowlby, 1982; 1988; see chapter John, Montgomery, & Haliiburton, this volume for more information on attachment). Likewise, social constructionists argued that PCIs (and social interactions generally) were the primary context for children’s learning (Vygotsky, 1978), motivating a generation of researchers to observe and analyze parents’ level of scaffolding (i.e., guidance or cognitive support of child) and stimulation during play and problem-solving (e.g., Bornstein & Tamis-LeMonda, 2001; Farrant & Reese, 2000; Rogoff, 1990; see Ostrosky & Mouzourou, this volume for more information about scaffolding and play). Since that time, voluminous research has demonstrated that PCI, assessed through naturalistic observation, meaningfully predicts children’s socioemotional and cognitive outcomes (Bornstein, 2002; Bron-fenbrenner, 1979; Collins & Madsen, 2003; Estrada, 1987; Maccoby & Martin, 1983; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000; Zaslow et al., 2006).