Impact of a Brief Parenting Intervention on Parent and Infant Imitation

• In Event: Seeing is Believing: Infants' and Toddlers' Social Learning from Visual Cues

Abstract

Introduction:
Research examining the effect of behavioral parenting interventions, such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), on parent and child imitation is limited despite known benefits of parent and child imitation to early child development (Meltzoff & Decety, 2003; Eckerman & Stein, 1990). We examined the effect of a brief, home-based adaptation of PCIT, the Infant Behavior Program (IBP), on changes in observed frequency of parent and infant imitation, as well as moderating effects of parent language (English vs. Spanish) and mediational effects of parent and infant imitation on the effect of intervention on infant behavior problems.

Method:
Participants were mother-infant dyads with a 12- to 15-month-old with elevated levels of behavior problems. Mother-infant dyads were randomly assigned to receive the IBP or standard pediatric primary care. Most infants were reported to be of Hispanic or Latinx ethnicity (94.8%), and a little over half of caregivers (56.7%) reported Spanish as their primary language. The first three authors were masked to intervention group and coded parent and infant imitation using the imitation coding guidelines developed by McCabe and colleagues (2021). Specifically, the frequency of parent and infant imitation, defined as the sum of parent imitations of infant behavior and the sum of infant imitations of parent behavior, was coded in 60 5-second intervals during a 5-minute child-directed play situation.

Results:
Parents receiving the IBP demonstrated significantly higher rates of observed imitation at post-intervention (b = 1.896, p = .017) and at the 3-month follow-up (b = 1.615, p = .017) compared to those receiving standard care, and the effect at post-intervention was stronger for English-speaking than for Spanish-speaking families (b = -3.812, p = .014). Although the IBP did not directly affect changes in infant imitation at post-intervention or the 3-month follow-up, rates of infant imitation increased significantly for those who received the IBP at the 6-month follow-up (b =1.130, p = .026). Additionally, moderation results suggested IBP led to improvements in infant imitation at post for Spanish-speaking families but not for English-speaking families (b = -2.629, p = .003). There was no significant mediational effects of parent or infant imitation.

Discussion:
Findings suggest that a brief parenting intervention led to short-term increases in parent imitation. Findings also suggest that language spoken impacted the use of parent and infant imitation differently, with more imitation in English-speaking parents and Spanish-speaking infants. These findings highlight a need for future research to more broadly examine cultural factors that may play a role in differences between parents and infants in imitation as well as within-group cultural and language differences in parent and infant imitation. Future research should examine potential clinical implications of increased imitation in infancy and how parenting interventions can best incorporate this skill into coding systems to promote optimal social-cognitive, language, and behavioral development.

Authors

• Caroline Gillenson, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Matthew Valente

• Mary Hagan, Florida International University

• Anastassia Cafatti Mac-Niven

• Daniel M Bagner, Florida International University