Feasibility and equity in the assessment of parent-child interactions: Lessons from three approaches

Observations of parent-child interactions provide critical insights that directly inform developmental theory and treatment initiatives. Equitable and feasible assessment is necessary to fully understand the spectrum of relevant parent and child behaviors accounting for cultural, ethnic, racial, and linguistic diversity. Parent-child observational research has primarily relied on structured, in-person recordings later coded by research assistants. This approach introduces logistical barriers for families coming into the laboratory, significant time and labor cost for coding, and potential limitations in ecological validity. With the advent and application of new, agile approaches for parent-child behavioral observation and coding, it is critical to evaluate which methods may improve feasibility, accessibility of participation, diverse representation, and ecological validity. This article examines the strengths and limitations of three innovative observational methodologies to assess parent-child interactions among ethnically, linguistically, and geographically diverse families: (a) structured male-caregiver-child interactions via videoconferencing with live coding (N = 114), (b) recording speech in naturalistic parent-child interactions via smartphone application with AI-supported coding (N = 27), and (c) naturalistic interactions in the home via wearable video-recording device (N = 27). A detailed discussion is provided focused on the (a) feasibility, utility, and cost of these methods, (b) clinical implications, (c) ability to overcome logistical barriers and promote equitable access to diverse families, (d) and ethical implications of standard, AI-supported, and live coding methods. Implications of this work contribute to understanding how to improve equity in the assessment of parent-child interactions, as well as increase the feasibility of behavioral observation for researchers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).