THE ROLE OF INTRAVERBAL EXCHANGES IN ASSESSING PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS

The present investigation evaluated the role of verbal exchanges between parent and child (intraverbal exchanges) in relation to two contemporary measurements of the parent-child relationship, mutual responsive orientation (MRO) and synchrony. Data were collected from 30 mother-preschool child dyads (19 girls, 11 boys) during a laboratory assessment. Rates of intraverbal exchange, MRO, and a major aspect of synchrony, dyadic reciprocity, were obtained during four separate interactions: two structured puzzle tasks, a semi-structured play activity, and an unstructured snack period. Results indicated that the rate of intraverbal exchange was stable within dyads and highly correlated with the two other, more complex measures. The findings challenge the restricted view of the utility of the behavior analytic approach, implicitly maintained in socialization and attachment theories within developmental psychology, demonstrate the value of measures of intraverbal exchanges for assessing parent-child relationships, and suggest practical applications in parent and caregiver training.