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Validation of an Observational Tool for Assessing Mother-Child and Father-Child Interactions in Mara, Tanzania

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Title: Validation of an Observational Tool for Assessing Mother-Child and Father-Child Interactions in Mara, Tanzania
Language: English
Authors: Joshua Jeong (ORCID 0000-0002-4130-468X), Frank Mapendo, Elizabeth Hentschel, Juliet K. McCann, Aisha K. Yousafzai
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2026 62(1):221-232.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
Contract Number: R00HD105984
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Parent Child Relationship, Interaction, Cultural Influences, Parenting Styles, Test Validity, Psychometrics, Child Development, Infants, Correlation, Gender Differences, Mothers, Fathers, Rural Areas
Geographic Terms: Tanzania
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001909
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: A strong body of evidence has underscored the cross-cultural importance of nurturing parent-child relationships for promoting early child development outcomes. However, most research on parenting has predominantly relied on self-reported measures collected from mothers. Observational tools for assessing parent-child interactions from not only mothers but also fathers remains limited, especially in Majority World contexts. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of an observational tool for assessing mother-child and father-child dyadic interactions in rural Mara, Tanzania. Specifically, we conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to determine the dimensionality of the measure, tested measurement invariance by parental gender, and assessed its predictive validity with early child development outcomes. We analyzed data from 1,690 parent-child dyads (927 mother-child dyads and 763 father-child dyads) with children under 2 years of age. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a two-factor model with good model fit and acceptable internal consistency and interrater reliability between trained coders. While the measure demonstrated configural invariance by parental gender, it did not meet the criteria for metric or scalar invariance, indicating that maternal and paternal scores cannot be directly compared. Nonetheless, regression analyses showed positive associations between mother-child and father-child interaction scores and children's later development. Our findings establish the reliability and predictive validity of this observational tool for assessing early parent-child interactions in rural Tanzania. Future research directions and methodological considerations for using this observational tool with both mothers and fathers in Majority World countries are discussed.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503156
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Validation of an Observational Tool for Assessing Mother-Child and Father-Child Interactions in Mara, Tanzania
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Joshua+Jeong%22">Joshua Jeong</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4130-468X">0000-0002-4130-468X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Frank+Mapendo%22">Frank Mapendo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elizabeth+Hentschel%22">Elizabeth Hentschel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Juliet+K%2E+McCann%22">Juliet K. McCann</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aisha+K%2E+Yousafzai%22">Aisha K. Yousafzai</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 62(1):221-232.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 12
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interaction%22">Interaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Influences%22">Cultural Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parenting+Styles%22">Parenting Styles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+Validity%22">Test Validity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychometrics%22">Psychometrics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Development%22">Child Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infants%22">Infants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correlation%22">Correlation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mothers%22">Mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fathers%22">Fathers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rural+Areas%22">Rural Areas</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tanzania%22">Tanzania</searchLink>
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  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Bayley+Scales+of+Infant+and+Toddler+Development%22">Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0001909
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
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  Data: A strong body of evidence has underscored the cross-cultural importance of nurturing parent-child relationships for promoting early child development outcomes. However, most research on parenting has predominantly relied on self-reported measures collected from mothers. Observational tools for assessing parent-child interactions from not only mothers but also fathers remains limited, especially in Majority World contexts. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of an observational tool for assessing mother-child and father-child dyadic interactions in rural Mara, Tanzania. Specifically, we conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to determine the dimensionality of the measure, tested measurement invariance by parental gender, and assessed its predictive validity with early child development outcomes. We analyzed data from 1,690 parent-child dyads (927 mother-child dyads and 763 father-child dyads) with children under 2 years of age. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a two-factor model with good model fit and acceptable internal consistency and interrater reliability between trained coders. While the measure demonstrated configural invariance by parental gender, it did not meet the criteria for metric or scalar invariance, indicating that maternal and paternal scores cannot be directly compared. Nonetheless, regression analyses showed positive associations between mother-child and father-child interaction scores and children's later development. Our findings establish the reliability and predictive validity of this observational tool for assessing early parent-child interactions in rural Tanzania. Future research directions and methodological considerations for using this observational tool with both mothers and fathers in Majority World countries are discussed.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1503156
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0001909
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 221
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interaction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural Influences
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      – SubjectFull: Parenting Styles
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      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Mothers
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      – SubjectFull: Fathers
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      – SubjectFull: Rural Areas
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Tanzania
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development
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      – TitleFull: Validation of an Observational Tool for Assessing Mother-Child and Father-Child Interactions in Mara, Tanzania
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