The Simple Interactions Tool for Observing Adult-Child Interactions Across Developmental Contexts

• In Event: Classroom Observation: Instruments, Application, and Findings

Abstract

In this study, we present the design and instrument validity of a simplified observational instrument called the Simple Interactions Tool (SIT). This tool is intended to assess adult-child interaction quality across a variety of development settings, and includes four dimensions: connection, reciprocity, progression, and participation. We investigate co-occurrence of items and interaction quality across setting factors in a dataset of 230 video clips, school-based and afterschool; findings indicate that the SIT holds promise for use across multiple developmental settings in which children and youth interact with adults. We also find several differences in relational quality—primarily progression—across context, interaction types, and activity type.

Authors

• Thomas Akiva, University of Pittsburgh

• Junlei Li, Carnegie Mellon University

• Christy Suzanne Galletta Horner, University of Pittsburgh

• Kelly Marie Martin, University of Pittsburgh