A brief play intervention to improve synchronous interactions and play skills in low income mother-child dyads.

Authors

  • Rebecca Montgomery Crotwell The University of Alabama
  • Maria Hernandez-Reif The University of Alabama
  • Mary Liz Curtner-Smith The University of Alabama

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55370/hsdialog.v16i3.116

Keywords:

low-income, preschool children, synchrony, play, interaction

Abstract

Interaction synchrony defines how well a parent and child relate, with lower levels of synchrony associated with poor child outcomes. A 10-minute Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) was tested in a pre-posttest design for improving interactional synchrony in 40 low-income mothers and preschool children (Half of the mothers watched a child nutrition video and served as a control group). As a group, the mother-child synchrony levels were low-to-average. Mothers in the PCIT group were taught five skills (PRIDE) to use when playing with their children: praise, reflect, imitate, describe, enthusiasm. The PRIDE group improved in interactional synchrony, whereas the control group did not. Mothers in the PRIDE group also used more child-directed techniques and their children were coded as offering their mothers toys more frequently. The findings suggest that a brief intervention may improve the interactional synchrony of low-income mothers and their preschool children, which may enhance preschool age children’s social skills.

Author Biographies

Rebecca Montgomery Crotwell, The University of Alabama

M.S. Human Development and Family Studies

Maria Hernandez-Reif, The University of Alabama

Professor in Human Development and Family Studies

Mary Liz Curtner-Smith, The University of Alabama

Associate Professor in Human Development and Family Studies

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Published

2013-08-20

Issue

Section

Research Articles