Psychometric properties of the French Infant-Toddler Working Alliance Inventory Short version (IT-WAI-S)

Abstract

Objective

Therapeutic alliance has been little investigated in infant and toddler therapy, with no tools specifically adapted to this population. However, we have developed the Infant-Toddler Working Alliance Inventory-Short form (IT-WAI-S) which is based on the Working Alliance Inventory. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of this original French tool, in its two versions: for parent (IT-WAI-SP) and for therapist (IT-WAI-STh).

Method

This study included 227 families consulting with their 18–48-month-old child for emotional or behavioral disorders. The scales were filled in at the first three therapy sessions. The IT-WAI-S acceptability, internal validity, reliability and predictive validity (association with child and mother’s outcomes) were evaluated.

Results

Confirmatory then exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor structure for the both scales: Negative Experience of Care Relationship, Positive Alliance and Alliance with the Child. Acceptability, reproducibility and construct validity were satisfactory for both versions. The two versions predicted the child's outcome. The IT-WAI-SP predicted also the mother’s outcome. The IT-WAI-STh gave more reproducible results, whereas the IT-WAI-SP was a better predictor of the child's progress.

Conclusion

The two IT-WAI-S versions showed good psychometric properties and could be used to study the therapeutic alliance in young children.

Keywords:

• therapeutic alliance
• infant and toddler disorders
• psychometrics properties
• parent–child psychotherapy
• outcome

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the centers in France and Switzerland, and all the participants for their contribution to this study, as well as A.O. Horvath, who authorized us to translate and adapt the WAI.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed doi:10.1080/10503307.2024.2378026.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a National French Clinical Research Program (National PHRC 2008 n°14-05). The funding source had no role in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data. Materials and analysis code for this study are available by emailing the corresponding author.