PsicoUSF
Print version ISSN 1413-8271
Abstract
VECTORE, Celia; ALVARENGA, Vanessa Cristina and GOMIDE JUNIOR, Sinésio. Construction and validation of an Assessment Scale for Mothers of Young Children. PsicoUSF [online]. 2007, vol.12, n.2, pp.165-172. ISSN 1413-8271.
The aim of this study is the construction and validity of an evaluation scale of mediational behaviours which were observed during interaction between mothers and their young children (up to three years of age). Thus, 88 items from previous studies carried out by one of the authors of the present study were enrolled. They were submitted to evaluation of two judges, who agreed in relation to 75 of the analyzed items; the items were agglutinated and the scale was constituted of 30 items. The application consisted in the observation of mediational behaviours in a sample of 300 mothers during interactions with their children. After the application, factorial data analysis was carried out, and only one factor was identified. This factor was composed of 29 items and resulted in the Mediation between Mothers and Young Children Evaluation Scale, which can be used in initial diagnosis in order to understand the quality of the mediation offered by the mother to her young child.
Keywords : Psychological evaluation; Mediation; Mothers; Young children.