Child Interaction Research Articles

Exploring how Positive Psychology-based Parenting Techniques Contribute to Children's Emotional Development, Resilience, and their Ability to form Healthy Social Relationships

This study explores positive psychology-based parenting practices and their contributions toward children's emotional development, child resilience, and social interactions. Drawing from the principles that guide positive psychology, this article explores how such practices as positive emotional support, empathy, and strength-based approaches impact key developmental outcomes for children. Data gathering involved a quantitative research design, where the responses from parents whose children belonged to the age group between 5 and 12 years were obtained. It was both descriptive and inferential analysis of the association between parenting methods and child outcome variables; this includes Pearson's correlation coefficient as well as multiple regression analysis. The hypotheses include: Hypothesis 1: Positive parenting encourages positive features of children's emotional development. Hypothesis 2: Positive parenting encourages children's resilience. Hypothesis 3: Positive parenting encourages good social relations. The three hypotheses listed below were validated: High positive correlations existed between parenting emotional support and children's emotional intelligence, r =.55, p <.01; between parenting emotional support and resilience, r =.49, p <.01; and between parenting emotional support and social skills, r =.52, p <.01. The findings of this study highlight the importance of emotional encouragement and empathy in a child's life. A contribution to the literature base of positive psychology, this work brings its principles into the terrain of parental practices and thus makes empirical evidence of its feasibility. In short, through this study, some important practical recommendations can be laid out for parents, teachers, and policymakers regarding how best to incorporate techniques based on positive psychology in child rearing. It could also be recommended further research to determine in the long term the impact such parenting strategies have and how suitable they are across cultures. It recommend positive supportive parenting that leads to the development of emotional intelligence and resilient capacity and peaceful interpersonal relations in children.

Characteristics of the Outdoor Environment Affording Physical Activity, Motor Competence, and Social Interactions in Children Aged 3–7 Years: A Systematic Review

Early childhood education (ECE) settings play a crucial role in promoting physical and social development among children aged 3–7 years. This systematic review sought to examine the associations between characteristics of ECE outdoor environments, social interactions, physical activity, and motor competence. The secondary aim examines previously applied methods to capture children’s behaviour in the context of their social and physical environment. Methods: This review used the PRISMA framework and study quality was assessed using the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT). Keyword searches were conducted in seven databases. Studies were eligible if children were aged 3–7 years in ECE; physical activity, social interactions and/or motor competence were measured; location and/or social context were measured. Results were synthesised using an effect direct plot, a table of associations, and narrative synthesis. Results: Twenty-three studies from eight countries met the inclusion criteria. Intervention and controlled cross-sectional studies (n = 9) favoured high-quality outdoor environments rich in affordances, portable play equipment, and natural features to increase children’s physical activity, social interactions, and cooperative play. Cross-sectional and descriptive studies (n = 14) positively associated open grassy space, portable and fixed equipment, wheeled toys, and paths with physical activity (p < 0.05). Based on limited evidence, playground size and active games in small groups were associated with greater MC. Conclusions: The findings highlight the benefit of creating diverse affordance rich outdoor environments in early childhood settings to promote physical and social development. Limitations include variability in study designs and protocols for conducting systematic observations, thus emphasising the need for standardised approaches to future research.

Parent and Child Reactivity During Dyadic Parent–Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS) Behavior Observations

Parent and Child Reactivity During Dyadic Parent–Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS) Behavior Observations

Children's social preference for teachers versus peers in autism inclusion classrooms: An objective perspective.

In inclusive preschools, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD) are less socially engaged with peers than are typically developing (TD) children. However, there is limited objective information describing how children with ASD engage with teachers, or how teacher engagement compares to engagement with peers. We tracked over 750 hours' worth of children's (N = 77; NASD = 24, NDD = 23, NTD = 30; Mage = 43.98 months) and teachers' (N = 12) locations and orientations across eight inclusion preschool classrooms to quantify child-teacher and child-peer social preference. Social approach velocity and time in social contact were computed for each child and compared across social partners to index children's preference for teachers over peers. Children with ASD approached teachers--but not peers-more quickly than children with TD, and children with ASD were approached more quickly by teachers and more slowly by peers than children with TD. Children with ASD spent less time in social contact with peers and did not differ from children with TD in their time in social contact with teachers. Overall, children with ASD showed a greater preference for approaching, being approached by, and being in social contact with teachers (relative to peers) than children with TD. No significant differences emerged between children with DD and children with TD. In conclusion, children with ASD exhibited a stronger preference for engaging with teachers over peers, re-emphasizing the need for classroom-based interventions that support the peer interactions of children with ASD.

Group Play Therapy for Children with Hearing Loss

Objectives: Children with hearing loss often undergo considerable pain and distress due to their hearing impairment, leading to challenges in engaging constructively with others. Using games, mainly through play therapy, can significantly enhance interaction and adjustment in children, especially those with hearing impairments. This research seeks to evaluate the impact of play therapy on the adaptation and self-confidence of children dealing with hearing challenges. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at a welfare center affiliated with the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in western Iran. Sixty-two children with hearing loss were selected from the welfare center. They were then assigned to the play therapy or control group using block random sampling. The pre- and post-intervention assessments included completing demographic information, an adaptability questionnaire for elementary school children, and a self-esteem inventory. Results: The implementation of play therapy led to a significant increase in adaptability immediately after the intervention and one month later (P<0.001). Moreover, a notable difference was observed between the two groups at the end of the study (P<0.001). Throughout the research, play therapy consistently elevated the self-esteem of the children. After the study, a noticeable difference was observed between the two groups (P<0.001). Discussion: lay therapy effectively increased adaptability and improved self-esteem in children with hearing loss. So, caregivers can use play therapy as therapeutic care to increase social adaptation and self-confidence in these children.

Gesture and speech in variation sets directed to Spanish-learning toddlers in adult–child interactions

The study adopts a multimodal perspective, looking at adults’ use of gestures in variation sets (VS; i.e. sequences of partial self-repetitions occurring in successive utterances of varying form) addressed to Spanish-learning toddlers in adult–child interactions. We seek to address the following question: Do adults make simultaneous use of VS and gestures to amplify their effect while interacting with toddlers? We consider the proportion of bimodal utterances, the types of gestures, the pragmatic function of the utterances, and the ongoing activity. Thirty 18-month-old children (17 Argentinian and 13 Spanish) and their principal caregivers were video recorded for 15 minutes in spontaneous reading and playing situations. Transcriptions and annotations were done with ELAN. Results showed that verbal utterances were more frequent than bimodal utterances in VS. Gestures were mostly used in VS with a regulatory function. Pointing was the type of gesture most frequently used, and its proportion increased in VS. Gestures were employed more frequently in book-sharing activities. Findings revealed that although VS are a bimodal (gesture and speech) phenomenon they are predominantly verbal and that regulatory pragmatic function explains adults’ use of gesture.

Teacher–Child Interaction Training—Group Coaching (TCIT-GC): removing barriers to advancing classroom behavioral health

PurposeThe Teacher–Child Interaction Training program (TCIT) is an evidence-based intervention that coaches effective strategies for managing disruptive classroom behavior (Garbacz et al., 2014). However, its widespread implementation is limited due to its costly and time-consuming model of delivery. This pilot study investigated whether the Teacher–Child Interaction Training- Group Coaching (TCIT-GC), a briefer, cost-effective adaptation of TCIT, would be effective in improving classroom climate, student behavior and professional quality of life among educators.Design/methodology/approachTCIT-GC is a remote, manualized, 8-week adaptation of TCIT. Participants included 41 educators representing both public and private K-12 schools from 11 public school districts. TCIT-GC comprised eight synchronous group sessions via Zoom, four Didactic sessions and four Consultation/Coaching sessions for trainer feedback, paired with asynchronous skill practice. This contrasted with the fully synchronous, one-on-one, in vivo coaching format of traditional TCIT. Participants practiced applying skills with students between Zoom sessions and documented the effectiveness of their acquired skills across various measures.FindingsResults of pre- and post-training comparisons showed significant improvements in reported classroom functioning, positive student behaviors, perceived effectiveness of TCIT-GC skills and significant reductions in problematic student behaviors and discipline use. Findings showed significant improvement in compassion satisfaction. No significant changes in levels of other ProQOL scales were observed.Originality/valueDisruptive student behavior takes a toll on the educational experience of misbehaving students, their classmates and educators. Results of this pilot study supported TCIT-GC as a feasible and promising behavioral health model that warrants further study.

Psychological interventions for parents of children with intellectual disabilities to enhance child behavioral outcomes or parental well-being: A systematic review, content analysis and effects.

The aim of this review was to identify the type, content, and effectiveness of psychological parenting interventions for parents of children with intellectual disabilities to enhance child behavior and/or parental well-being. A systematic search yielded 21 studies involving 1825 participants. Studies were evaluated according to intervention content, pre- and post-treatment and follow-up effect sizes, and risk of bias. We categorized the interventions into those targeting 'Child or interaction' (child behavior, interaction and learning, understanding disability), and those targeting 'Parent' (parental well-being) or both themes. All these interventions had positive effects on parental well-being or child behavior. Parental outcomes were improved by interventions targeting 'Parental well-being', as well as 'Child or interaction'. Child behavior showed improvements in programs focusing on 'Child or interaction', and in a mindfulness-based parental well-being program. During follow-up, most effects were sustained or further increased, but some studies showed no improvements over the control group.

The relationship between classroom interaction and performance of children in Science in pre-primary schools in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to establish if classroom interaction has any relationship with preschool learners’ performance in science activity areas. A solid science foundation at an early age of children can predict their performance in sciences at a later stage of primary and secondary levels of education. From the preschool level, children's interests, attitudes, and learning outcomes are, to a large extent, determined by the teaching methods teachers apply. A descriptive research design was applied as the researcher collected data. The target population for this study was 240 preschools, 505 teachers and 5326 learners in the early childhood Classes (PP2) in the three sub-counties (Meru South, Maara and Tharaka) of Tharaka Nithi County. Data was collected using questionnaires for teachers, documentary analysis and an observation checklist for preschool children. Descriptive analysis was applied to the data from the questionnaires. The study established that the classroom interaction used by preschool teachers had an influence on the learners' performance in science activities. The ability of the teachers to identify the learners' learning needs and the teaching methods that can best handle the topic were found to be crucial in science instruction. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education, through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, should review the current classroom interaction for preschools and modify them to fit specific topics. The methods should then be taught to teachers through in-service training to keep them versed in the current classroom interaction.

A Comparative Analysis of Language Skills and Parent–Child Interactions in Monolingual and Bilingual Children Born Preterm

Children born preterm are at an elevated risk of language delays compared to children born full-term. However, there is a dearth of research investigating language outcomes in premature children exposed to more than one language. There is also limited empirical evidence linking the quantity and quality of parent input and language outcomes in premature children and the strength of these relationships in bilingual contexts remains unknown. Therefore, the current study examined language skills, parent input, conversational turns, and their associations at 16 months to 36 months in monolingual and bilingual children born preterm. Nine English-speaking monolingual parent–child dyads, and nine Spanish–English bilingual parent–child dyads participated in parent–child interactions that occurred over time in play-based contexts. Results revealed that preterm monolingual and bilingual children exhibited similar language abilities at all time points assessed. While both monolingual and bilingual dyads engaged in a comparable number of conversational turns at 16 m, monolingual mothers produced more words than bilingual mothers during play. Significant associations were observed between children’s vocabulary skills and their ability to combine words within and across most time points. Notably, relationships between parental input, conversational turns, and language skills were limited to a significant association between conversational turns at 16 m and vocabulary skills at 24 m. Together, findings indicate that bilingual children born preterm acquire language on the same timeline as monolingual children born preterm. While it is crucial that the current work be replicated in larger samples of children born preterm, the current work is the first to compare relationships between children’s language outcomes and the quantity and quality of parental input in monolingual and bilingual contexts.

Child-Friendly Justice: ways to improve support for vulnerable people in Ukraine’s judicial system

Child-Friendly Justice: ways to improve support for vulnerable people in Ukraine’s judicial system

The Transmission Mechanisms of War Trauma in Early Mother–Child Interactions, Observed Through the Coding Interactive Behaviour Scale

ABSTRACT Background This study examines the transmission of trauma from mother to infant in war trauma contexts. We investigated how maternal exposure to war trauma affects mental health and its association with mother–child interaction quality. We hypothesise that maternal trauma negatively influences these interactions, reducing sensitivity and leading to increased emotional withdrawal and negative emotional states in children. Method Participants were twenty-four mother–infant dyads from Central Africa, Chad, and Cameroon. Mothers were exposed to war trauma before the birth or without direct exposure of the child. Children were aged between 1.5 and 30 months. Maternal mental health problems were indicated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and the Impact of Event Scale—Revised. Mother–infant interaction quality by the Coding Interactive Behaviour tool. Results The exposure to war trauma was associated with high levels of poor maternal mental health. Mothers showed high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, as scored on different scales. This seems to influence the mother–baby interactions which obtain less than optimal scores following the observation and evaluation with the CIB (Maternal sensitivity M 2.7 SD 0.2; Maternal intrusiveness M 2.4, SD 0.1; Dyadic reciprocity M 2.7 SD 0.2; Negative emotional state of the baby M 1.9, SD 0.1; Negative state of the dyad M 2.1, SD 0.1; Baby social engagement M 2.6, SD 0.1). Conclusion The results suggest that maternal exposure to war trauma may impact interaction quality and maternal availability. Inferential statistics indicating low social engagement and negative emotional states in infants suggest potential trauma transmission through interactions with mothers affected by trauma. However, resilience factors may offer some protective effects against this transmission.

Optimizing parenting and child outcomes following parent–child interaction therapy – toddler: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundParent–Child Interaction Therapy—Toddler (PCIT-T) is an attachment-informed intervention model designed to meet the specific developmental needs of toddlers aged 12–24 months presenting with challenging behaviors.MethodsThis study used a randomized controlled design to evaluate outcomes of PCIT-T for children aged 14–24 months with disruptive behaviors. Ninety toddlers with parent-reported disruptive behavior were randomly allocated to PCIT-T (intervention), an active control condition (Circle of Security– Parenting™; COS-P), or a non-treatment control condition (wait-list; WL). Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Time 1), post treatment/post waitlist (Time 2) and 4-month follow-up (Time 3).ResultsAt follow-up, the PCIT-T group displayed the highest levels of parenting sensitivity and positive parental verbalizations, and the lowest levels of negative child-directed verbalizations and non-attuned mind-minded statements. Of the three groups, the PCIT-T group showed the greatest degree of change on these variables, followed by the COS-P group and then the non-treated controls. The PCIT-T group were also the only group to show significant within-group improvements in sensitivity, self-reported parental reflectiveness, empathy and emotional understanding, parent-reported child social competence, child internalizing problems, and general behavior issues. Significant reductions in parental stress, child externalizing behaviors and parenting behaviors were seen for both the PCIT-T and COS-P groups.ConclusionsDelivered in the early intervention period of toddlerhood, Parent–Child Interaction Therapy—Toddler has the potential to bring about significant changes for children presenting with early onset behavioral issues.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), 12,618,001,554,257. Registered 24 September 2018 – retrospectively registered, https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12618001554257.

Parent–child interaction therapy in the treatment of children who stutter: a single-subject longitudinal study

BackgroundThe study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the indirect home-based program, including parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT), in reducing the severity and degree of stuttering in young children to be used as a treatment program for young children who stutter.MethodsA longitudinal multiple single-subject study was conducted on 16 Arabic-speaking Egyptian children aged 4–7 years who stutter. All parents and children were evaluated during the first clinic visit to assess stuttering and to start the clinic-based therapy. After six weeks, a follow-up was done. After three months of the home-based therapy program, a re-assessment of the degree and severity of stuttering was done using the Bloodstein classification of stuttering severity and Stuttering Severity Instrument-3 (SSI3).ResultsMean SSI3 pre-therapy was 17.5 and decreased to 11 post-therapy. Before therapy, most cases were moderate stuttering 68.8%, 25% were mild, and 6.3% were severe; after treatment, most cases became mild stuttering (75%), 12.5% became very mild, and 12.5% became moderate stuttering according to SSI3 scores, also mean Bloodstein pre-therapy was II and decreased to I post-therapy.ConclusionAn indirect home-based program, including PCIT, efficiently reduces the severity and degree of stuttering in young children and justifies its use as a treatment program for children who stutter.

Modalities and Effectiveness of Interventions Aimed at Promoting Teacher–Child Interaction to Reduce Children’s Externalizing Behavior Problems in Childcare Centers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Modalities and Effectiveness of Interventions Aimed at Promoting Teacher–Child Interaction to Reduce Children’s Externalizing Behavior Problems in Childcare Centers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Validation of the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale Adapted to the Early Childhood Education and Care Context

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) is a self-report instrument developed to measure parents’ emotion socialization with their children. This study examined the factorial and convergent validity of a short version of the CCNES adapted for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) context. Using exploratory factor analysis with responses from 490 ECEC-workers from the Oslo Early Education Study, our results revealed a three-factor structure of the CCNES, including emotion dismissing, emotion coaching, and emotion distracting. Model specifications were conducted in half the sample and cross-validated in the other half. ECEC-workers’ coaching and distracting correlated positively with each other and with their reports of supportive scaffolding practices and self-efficacy in supporting children’s socioemotional development. Dismissing correlated negatively with these measures. Practice and Policy. Our results indicate that this ECEC version of the CCNES is a valid instrument to assess ECEC-workers’ emotion socialization strategies in interactions with children and to support the use of distracting as a separate strategy. This instrument enables us to extend our knowledge of teacher–child interaction quality in ECEC by examining associations with children’s development. The CCNES could also form the baseline for discussions and reflections about ECEC-workers’ professional roles and development.

CIPAS Scale: Pilot Test for Evaluating Interaction Quality and Secure Attachment Potential

The adult's sensitivity to the child's communicative signals, their prompt and appropriate response to the child's needs for security, protection, and comfort, along with their ability to regulate emotions in the face of childhood stress, are parenting skills associated with attachment quality. Various instruments and observation scales code these constructs. Furthermore, developmental psychology has made significant contributions regarding the affective and communicative exchanges between parents and children during early stages of life and their implications for the formation of emotional bonds. The objective of this study is to describe the development and preliminary analysis of a new observation scale called: Quality of Interaction and Secure Attachment Potential (CIPAS), which aims to simply integrate the different parameters of the interactive relationship between attachment figures and children in early childhood. The construction process and initial psychometric analyses from a pilot sample are presented. The results showed very high inter-rater reliability, with an overall kappa value of κ=0.88. The relevance of CIPAS is discussed not only as a valuable tool for developmental psychology research but also as an effective instrument to guide educational practices in promoting secure attachment and quality interaction in young children.

Parent-child interaction frequency: associations with age, sibling presence, and child health.

Parent-child interaction plays a crucial role in child development. This study investigated associations between the frequency of parent-child-interactions and sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, socio-economic status, family structure, number and age of siblings), physical and psychological symptoms in children, and mental health of parents. The frequencies of 11 different parent-child interactions (shared reading, singing, moving, painting, building, puzzle, playing ball, role games, language games, number games and talking about problems) were assessed in 739 children aged 2-6.5 years-old using a standardised parental questionnaire, within a population-based cohort study in Leipzig, Germany. Physical and psychological symptoms were investigated using the HBSC Symptom-Checklist and parental depression symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire. We applied regression analyses to assess associations between variables. Shared reading was the parent-child interaction reported most frequently, with an average occurrence of several times a week. Number games were reported least frequently, with an average occurrency of every two weeks. Fewer parent-child interactions were significantly associated with higher child age, higher number of siblings, presence of older siblings and a lower level of physical and psychological symptoms. The other variables (sex, SES, living situation, presence of younger siblings or both (younger and older), depression symptoms of parents) were not significantly associated with the frequency of parent-child interactions. The findings show that age of children and number as well as age of siblings at home may shape the frequency of parent-child interaction in preschool children. In addition, the findings suggest that parent-child interaction might be related to the health of children rather than the (mental) health of parents. This study assessed the associations between the frequency of different types of parent-child interactions and sociodemographic as well as health-related parameters in a large sample of children. There still exist sex-specific differences in the frequency of parent-child interactions related to traditional role models of girls and boys. A higher frequency of parent-child interactions is associated with more physical and psychological symptoms in children. Parent-child interactions are less frequent in families with more children, especially when older siblings are present.

THE IMPACT OF MATERNAL SECOND SIGNAL SYSTEM ACTIVITY ON MOTHER-CHILD INTERACTIONS DURING THE VERBAL DEVELOPMENT STAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF WAR AND HEALTH CRISES

The transition from nonverbal to verbal communication in children is signifi cantly infl uenced by the maternal secondary signaling system. Current geopolitical and health crises, such as the war in Ukraine and post- COVID-19 syndrome, exacerbate maternal stress and may aff ect mother- child interactions and child development.Aim. The purpose of this study is to examine diff erences in the activity of the second signaling system between mothers who report diffi culties perceiving their children and those who do not, and to understand the impact of these diff erences on motherchild interactions during the child’s verbal developmental period.Materials and methods. The study involved 184 mothers, divided into two groups: 98 mothers who reported diffi culties in perceiving their children and 86 mothers who did not. The The Questionnaire for Assessing the Activity of the Second Signal System (Language and Cognitive Test: How Well Do You Understand and Communicate?) (Lunov, 2023) was used to evaluate the activity of the second signal system across eight subscales corresponding to diff erent cytoarchitectonic fi elds. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to compare the mean scores of each subscale and the overall integral index between the groups. Results. Signifi cant diff erences were found on all subscales and the integral index, indicating notable discrepancies in the activity of the second signaling system between the two groups. Mothers who reported diffi culties had consistently lower scores, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to support their communication and interaction with their children. Discussion. The fi ndings highlight the critical role of the second signaling system in maternal perception and interaction. The combined eff ects of war-induced trauma and post- COVID-19 syndrome exacerbate these challenges and underscore the need for comprehensive support programs. Findings from studies underscore the importance of addressing transgenerational attachment factors and maternal mental health to improve mother- child relationships and promote healthy developmental outcomes.

Predictors of parental stress in families with gifted children: The role of cognitive and emotional challenges

This study examines the unique challenges of raising gifted children, focusing on two child-related risk factors for parental stress: cognitive asynchrony and stress management abilities. Path analysis revealed that poor stress management in children is associated with greater parental stress, as measured by the Difficult Child (DC) and Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction (PCDI) scales of the Parenting Stress Index. Cognitive discrepancies, particularly between Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) and Processing Speed Index (PSI), were found to increase maternal stress but not paternal stress, highlighting a differential impact on parents. Additionally, the study identified a spillover effect, in which stress in one parent influences the other, amplifying family stress. These findings suggest that cognitive and emotional factors act as independent sources of stress, underscoring the need for interventions tailored to families of gifted children, with a focus on enhancing emotional competence to promote resilience and family well-being.