Caregiver-Infant Interaction Quality: A Review of Observational Assessment Tools

ABSTRACT

The relationship between caregiver and infant interaction quality and infant developmental outcomes has long been established. As children mature, problems stemming from troubled caregiver-infant relations may result in referral to mental health, early intervention, or child protection services. The accurate and appropriate assessment of caregiver-infant interaction is critical for early recognition of problematic relations and for informing suitable treatment modalities. Evaluating the quality of the caregiver-infant relationship poses a challenge for researchers and clinicians seeking to explore the association between infant development and the quality of early caregiving experiences. This paper describes and compares commonly used measures of caregiver-infant interaction, including the Parent-Child Interaction Scales, Mutual Regulation Scales, Parent-Child Early Relationship Assessment, Mother-Infant Communication Screening, Ainsworth Maternal Sensitivity Scales, Maternal Behavior Q-sort, and the Emotional Availability Scales.

KEYWORDS:

• Caregiver-infant interaction
• observational measures
• quantitative measures

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.