The Forest or the Trees? The Micro-Social and Macro-Social Approach to Coding Parent Behaviors
Format
Poster Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Jessica Grady
Faculty Mentor Department
Psychology
Abstract/Artist Statement
Researchers must decide how to quantify and record behaviors they observe. Macro-social coding refers to overall ratings that summarize the behaviors observed in an episode. Micro-social coding refers to second-by-second codes that capture behaviors in smaller units. Research comparing macro- versus micro-system coding of parent behavior showed that a micro-social approach was a better predictor of some behavioral outcomes in children than the macro-social approach (Bardack et al. 2017). The current study compared both micro-social and macro-social systems for parent (i.e. warmth, coaxing, etc.) and child behaviors (i.e. boldness).
Fifty-five parents were observed with their 21-24 month-old toddlers in two laboratory episodes designed to present children with novel social situations (i.e. Stranger Approach and Clown; Buss, 2011). Data are available for forty-nine parents. Parental coaxing, modeling, and warmth/reassurance were coded on a nominal scale (yes or no for each behavior observed in an epoch) for each 1-second epoch of each episode. Parent behaviors were also scored on the macro-social level, and were coded on a 5-point scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (extreme) for each episode. Child boldness was also coded on the same 5-point scale during each episode. Child proximity to stimulus was coded on the same nominal scale.
Results revealed that the macro-social scores were positively correlated with the micro-social scores for parent modeling, warm, and coax (range r =.833 to .483, all ps.05). Results also suggest that both systems were similarly associated with child behavior.
Other studies have also shown that microsocial and macrosocial were significantly correlated (Bardack et al. 2017). These results suggest that the systems moderately capture the same parental behavior.
Location
Virtual
Start Date
25-4-2020 1:00 PM
End Date
25-4-2020 3:00 PM
The Forest or the Trees? The Micro-Social and Macro-Social Approach to Coding Parent Behaviors
Virtual
Researchers must decide how to quantify and record behaviors they observe. Macro-social coding refers to overall ratings that summarize the behaviors observed in an episode. Micro-social coding refers to second-by-second codes that capture behaviors in smaller units. Research comparing macro- versus micro-system coding of parent behavior showed that a micro-social approach was a better predictor of some behavioral outcomes in children than the macro-social approach (Bardack et al. 2017). The current study compared both micro-social and macro-social systems for parent (i.e. warmth, coaxing, etc.) and child behaviors (i.e. boldness).
Fifty-five parents were observed with their 21-24 month-old toddlers in two laboratory episodes designed to present children with novel social situations (i.e. Stranger Approach and Clown; Buss, 2011). Data are available for forty-nine parents. Parental coaxing, modeling, and warmth/reassurance were coded on a nominal scale (yes or no for each behavior observed in an epoch) for each 1-second epoch of each episode. Parent behaviors were also scored on the macro-social level, and were coded on a 5-point scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (extreme) for each episode. Child boldness was also coded on the same 5-point scale during each episode. Child proximity to stimulus was coded on the same nominal scale.
Results revealed that the macro-social scores were positively correlated with the micro-social scores for parent modeling, warm, and coax (range r =.833 to .483, all ps.05). Results also suggest that both systems were similarly associated with child behavior.
Other studies have also shown that microsocial and macrosocial were significantly correlated (Bardack et al. 2017). These results suggest that the systems moderately capture the same parental behavior.