Validity of video-mediated recall procedures for mothers' emotion and child ratings

The validity of video-mediated recall (VR) measures of mothers' experience of emotion and appraisals of their children's behavior was evaluated. While viewing videotapes of their immediately preceding interactions, 97 mothers used a dial to continuously rate their toddlers' behavior and then their own emotion. Mothers' appraisals, emotion, and autonomic responses measured as averages across each VR condition were associated with their autonomic responses and their children's misbehavior measured during the live interactions. Less correspondence was found when similar relations were assessed in 10-s intervals. Additional tests supported concurrent and discriminant validity of the averaged VR measures. Taken together, the results suggest acceptable construct validity, but that the timing of mothers' thoughts and feelings may differ between live interactions and VR.