The dyadic parent-child interaction coding system (DPICS): Negative talk as an indicator of dysfunctional mother-child interaction

Abstract

BackgroundThe Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS-IV) is a widely used observational instrument that assesses Parent-child interaction (PCI) quality. However, studies specifically examining its psychometric properties published in peer-reviewed journals are scarce. The present study aimed to provide evidence on the discriminative validity of the DPICS-IV to identify indicators of parent–child interaction among clinical mother–child dyads compared to non-clinical. MethodParticipants were 177 mother–child dyads with children aged 4 to 8 years: (1) a clinical sample of 80 dyads where mothers experienced significant difficulties managing their children's behavior problems and identified by Child Welfare and Child Protection Services as at risk for child maltreatment or with substantiated reports, and (2) a non-clinical sample of 97 dyads from the general population. ResultsDPICS Negative talk factor showed high discriminant capacity (AUC = 0.90) between samples, with a cut-off score of 8 that allowed mother–child dyads to be classified with a sensitivity of 82 % and a specificity of 89 %. ConclusionsFindings of the present study suggested that the DPICS-IV Negative Talk factor is a robust indicator of dysfunctional PCI patterns of families involved with the Child Protection Services. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to test the accuracy of the cut-off score with a representative sample of the general population.