PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT

The reliability and validity of the Dyadic Parent-Child Coding System II (DPICS II) with father-child dyads were assessed in the present study. The DPICS II is the revised version of a behavioral observation coding system used in research and clinical settings to describe the quality of parent-child dyadic interactions. The DPICS II contains 25 categories to code parents’ and children’s verbal and nonverbal behavior.

The study participants were sixty father-child dyads representing a clinic-referred group (n=30) and a non-problem comparison group (n=30). The children in the clinic-referred group were participants in a large treatment outcome study (N=100) for preschool children with behavior problems. All clinic-referred participants had met diagnostic criteria for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The data on the clinic-referred families used in the present study were collected as part of the families’ standard initial assessment in the larger outcome study. The father-child pairs in the comparison group were recruited from the Gainesville, FL, community through advertisements. To be included in the study, the children in the comparison group could not meet diagnostic criteria for Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

The two groups were compared on several measures including the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), the Parental Locus of Control Scale – Short Form (PLOC-SF), the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), and the DPICS II behavior observations. Videotapes of the father-child dyads were coded by observers trained to use the DPICS II. The primary coders were blind to the hypotheses of this study. Thirty percent of the videotapes for each group, randomly selected, were re-coded to evaluate reliability. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlations and Cohen’s kappa. Overall, the DPICS II categories were shown to have acceptable reliability estimates. Significant differences between groups were found on DPICS II variables, providing evidence for the discriminative validity of the coding system. Furthermore, the DPICS II demonstrated convergent validity by correlating significantly with scores on the ECBI, the PLOC-SF, and the parent and child scales of the PSI. Recommendations for improving DPICS II are discussed.
 


Child Study Lab
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology
University of Florida
P.O. Box 100165
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone (352) 265-0680 x 46878
E-mail: seyberg@hp.ufl.edu
© 2001 University of Florida
Last updated: March 07, 2006.
PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT PCIT