The Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment: A Factorial Validity Study

The present study attempts to determine the factorial validity of scores on the Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment in a normative population of mothers and their 12-month-old infants. Parent, child, and dyadic items scored from free play interactions were analyzed as separate components of the instrument. Scores on three parent, three infant, and two dyadic subscales were examined for reliability and convergent and discriminant validity using confirmatory factor analysis. To provide confidence in the results, a factorial invariance study using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using a separate sample. All subscale scores demonstrated high levels of internal consistency, with coefficients ranging from .75 to .96. Evidence was also found for convergent and discriminant validity.