Landry, S. H., Smith, K. E., Swank, P. R., & Guttentag, C. (2008). A responsive parenting intervention: The optimal timing across early childhood for impacting maternal behaviors and child outcomes. Developmental Psychology, 44(5), 1335-1353.
Model(s) Reviewed:
Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) Infant
,
Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) Toddler/Preschooler
,
Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) Infant Toddler/Preschooler
| Screening decision | Screening conclusion | HomVEE procedures and standards version |
|---|---|---|
| Passes screens | Eligible for review | Version 1 |
| Rating | Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Compromised randomization | Confounding factors | Valid, reliable measure(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Randomized controlled trial | Low | Established on race and socioeconomic status | None | None | Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed before 2021 |
| Study participants | The study included mother-infant pairs who had participated in an earlier study by Landry et al. (2006) in which they had been randomly assigned to PALS I (PALS Infant) or a Development Assessment of Skills (DAS) group. For the current study, they were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups: PALS II (PALS Toddler/Preschooler) or another DAS comparison group, stratified by whether they had initially received PALS I or DAS. Thus, some received PALS I only, some received PALS II only, some received both PALS I and II, and the remaining pairs received DAS home visits only. According to information provided by the first author, initially 169 mother infant pairs were randomly assigned, 85 to the treatment groups and 84 to the comparison group. After attrition, 166 mother-infant pairs (84 PALS and 82 DAS) remained in the study. Approximately one-third of each group was African American, Hispanic, or Caucasian. Most were poor and unmarried. Mothers were all 18 years old or older at intake into the original study and averaged approximately 30 years old. On average, mothers had 12 or more years of education in both groups. Participants were followed over the course of 11 visits. |
|---|---|
| Setting | The study was conducted in the Houston-Galveston (Texas) area. |
| Intervention services | PALS II was adapted from the PALS I curriculum to target similar responsive behaviors for toddlers plus an additional session targeting behavioral guidance. PALS II consists of a series of 11 home visits, each lasting 1.5 hours and occurring approximately weekly. The home visits are guided by a curriculum that included (1) asking mothers to review their experiences across the past week related to their efforts to try targeted behaviors, (2) describing the current visit’s targeted behavior, (3) watching and discussing with mothers the educational videotape of mothers from similar backgrounds, (4) videotaping mothers interacting with their infants in situations that the mothers selected with coaching, (5) supporting mothers to critique their behaviors and the infants’ responses during the videotaped practice, and (6) planning with mothers how to integrate responsive behaviors into their everyday activities with laminated cards. The facilitator coached the mothers to use the targeted behaviors, including commenting on the infants’ responses when the behaviors were used. Sessions were available in both English and Spanish. |
| Comparison conditions | Comparison group members received the same number of home visits from facilitators, which included discussions about new infant skills during the previous week and infant development and assessment. Facilitators provided mothers with answers to and handouts about their questions on infant skill development. |
| Subgroups examined |
This field lists subgroups examined in the manuscript (even if they were not replicated in other samples and not reported on the summary page for this model’s report). • Birth weight (very-low birth weight) • Early term or full-term birth (yes or no) |
| Funding sources | Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Grant HD36099. |
| Author affiliation | Susan Landry, a study author, is a developer of this model. |
| Peer reviewed | Peer reviewed status is not listed for manuscripts reviewed before 2021. |
Findings that rate moderate or high
| Rating | Outcome measure | Effect | Sample | Timing of follow-up | Sample size | Intervention group | Comparison group | Group difference | Effect size | Statistical significance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | PPVT-III receptive vocabulary | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.18 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | PLS: auditory comprehension | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.12 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | PLS: expressive comprehension | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 1.21 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Cooperation | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.09 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Coordinating attention and words | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.26 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Positive affect (of child with mother) | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.18 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Social engagement | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.18 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Use of words | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.08 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | PPVT-III receptive vocabulary | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.28 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | PLS: auditory comprehension | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.94 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | PLS: expressive comprehension | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.30 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Cooperation | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.21 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Coordinating attention and words | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.13 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Positive affect (of child with mother) | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.19 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Social engagement | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.25 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Use of words | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.15 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | PPVT-III receptive vocabulary | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.37 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.36 | Statistically significant, p < .05 | Negative coefficient values favor the intervention group.
|
| High | PLS: auditory comprehension | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -1.56 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | PLS: expressive comprehension | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.92 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Cooperation | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.38 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.30 | Statistically significant, p = .04 | Negative coefficient values favor the intervention group.
|
| High | Coordinating attention and words | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.09 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Positive affect (of child with mother) | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.17 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Social engagement | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.44 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.32 | Statistically significant, p < .01 | Negative coefficient values favor the intervention group.
|
| High | Use of words | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.42 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.37 | Statistically significant, p < .01 | Negative coefficient values favor the intervention group.
|
| Rating | Outcome measure | Effect | Sample | Timing of follow-up | Sample size | Intervention group | Comparison group | Group difference | Effect size | Statistical significance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Contingent responsiveness | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.51 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Maintaining child foci | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.06 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.32 | Statistically significant, p = 0.04 | Negative coefficient values favor the intervention group.
|
| High | Positive affect (of mother with child) | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.34 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Redirecting child foci | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.52 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | Positive coefficient values indicate an unfavorable outcome.
|
| High | Verbal encouragement | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.60 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Verbal scaffolding | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.10 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Warm sensitivity | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.35 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.29 | Statistically significant, p = 0.02 | Negative coefficient values favor the intervention group.
|
| High | Contingent responsiveness | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.64 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.51 | Statistically significant, p = 0.02 | |
| High | Maintaining child foci | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.00 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Positive affect (of mother with child) | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.26 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Redirecting child foci | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.61 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.39 | Statistically significant, p = 0.01 | Negative coefficient values indicate a favorable outcome.
|
| High | Verbal encouragement | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.08 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Verbal scaffolding | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.06 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Warm sensitivity | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS I and PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.34 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Contingent responsiveness | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.52 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Maintaining child foci | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.03 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Positive affect (of mother with child) | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.15 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Redirecting child foci | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = 0.42 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Verbal encouragement | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.41 | Not applicable | Not reported | Study reported = 0.25 | Statistically significant, p =.01 | Negative coefficient values favor the intervention group.
|
| High | Verbal scaffolding | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.13 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | |
| High | Warm sensitivity | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
PALS II | 3 months after program end | 166 mother/child dyads | growth curve coefficient = -0.37 | Not applicable | Not reported | Not available | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 |