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Minnesota Preschool Affect Rating Scales: development, reliability, and validity
E G Shapiro1, J T McPhee, A A Abbott
1Division of Pediatric Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|June 1, 1994
Summary
Researchers developed the Minnesota Preschool Affect Rating Scales (MN-PARS) to objectively measure preschooler emotions. This tool aids in assessing treatment impacts on children's emotional states and self-regulation.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Assessing emotional and temperamental changes in preschool children due to illness or treatment is challenging due to limited objective measurement tools.
- Existing methods lack the sensitivity required for longitudinal studies tracking emotional development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a sensitive and objective measurement tool for assessing the emotional state and temperament of preschool children.
- To create a scale suitable for longitudinal research, particularly for children undergoing medical treatments.
Main Methods:
- Developed the Minnesota Preschool Affect Rating Scales (MN-PARS) using video-taped play sessions of 179 children with febrile seizures and 85 controls.
- Utilized behaviorally anchored ratings on 12 scales, subjected to factor analysis to identify key emotional dimensions.
- Assessed interrater reliability, split-half reliability, and initial concurrent validity of the developed scales.
Main Results:
- Factor analysis identified three primary factors: Negative Affect, Positive Affect, and Self-regulation.
- Additional individual scales included Dependency and Activity Level.
- The MN-PARS demonstrated reliable ratings and initial evidence of concurrent validity.
Conclusions:
- The MN-PARS provides a reliable and objective method for measuring emotional expression and self-regulation in preschool children.
- These scales are valuable for longitudinal studies, including those examining the effects of medications like phenobarbital on children with febrile seizures.
- The MN-PARS can be adapted for various research contexts requiring objective assessment of child behavior and emotional states.
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