Black or African American
34%
Source
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
Funding Sources
Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Grant HD36099.
Study Design
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | Low | Established on race and socioeconomic status | None |
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.
Home Visiting 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
• Birth weight (very-low birth weight) • Early term or full-term birth (yes or no)
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.
Home Visiting 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
• Birth weight (very-low birth weight) • Early term or full-term birth (yes or no)
Findings that rate moderate or high in this manuscript
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect size (absolute value) | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contingent responsiveness | 3 months after program end | High | 0.51 | Statistically significant, p = 0.02 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | ||
| Warm sensitivity | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Positive affect (of mother with child) | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Maintaining child foci | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Redirecting child foci | 3 months after program end | High | 0.39 | Statistically significant, p = 0.01 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | ||
| Verbal scaffolding | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Verbal encouragement | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Contingent responsiveness | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| Warm sensitivity | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| Positive affect (of mother with child) | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| Maintaining child foci | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| Redirecting child foci | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| Verbal scaffolding | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| Verbal encouragement | 3 months after program end | High | 0.25 | Statistically significant, p =.01 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | ||
| Contingent responsiveness | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| Warm sensitivity | 3 months after program end | High | 0.29 | Statistically significant, p = 0.02 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | ||
| Positive affect (of mother with child) | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| Maintaining child foci | 3 months after program end | High | 0.32 | Statistically significant, p = 0.04 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | ||
| Redirecting child foci | 3 months after program end | High | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| Verbal scaffolding | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| Verbal encouragement | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I |
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect size (absolute value) | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooperation | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Social engagement | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Positive affect (of child with mother) | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Use of words | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Coordinating attention and words | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| PPVT-III receptive vocabulary | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| PLS: auditory comprehension | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| PLS: expressive comprehension | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I and PALS II | |||
| Cooperation | 3 months after program end | High | 0.30 | Statistically significant, p = .04 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | ||
| Social engagement | 3 months after program end | High | 0.32 | Statistically significant, p < .01 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | ||
| Positive affect (of child with mother) | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| Use of words | 3 months after program end | High | 0.37 | Statistically significant, p < .01 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | ||
| Coordinating attention and words | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| PPVT-III receptive vocabulary | 3 months after program end | High | 0.36 | Statistically significant, p < .05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | ||
| PLS: auditory comprehension | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| PLS: expressive comprehension | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS II | |||
| Cooperation | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| Social engagement | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| Positive affect (of child with mother) | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| Use of words | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| Coordinating attention and words | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| PPVT-III receptive vocabulary | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| PLS: auditory comprehension | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I | |||
| PLS: expressive comprehension | 3 months after program end | High | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 166 mother/child dyads | PALS I |
This study included participants with the following characteristics at enrollment:
Race/Ethnicity
Maternal Education
Other Characteristics
This study included participants from the following locations:
- Texas