Adult Sensitivity Assessment in Interaction with 6-36 Months old Children: Design and Preliminary Analyses of Adult Sensitivity Scale

Abstract

The adult sensitivity has been extensively studied in early childhood, for it is associated with a secure attachment bond with the child. Different sensitivity measuring instruments have been developed, primarily through observational methods. Most of them require extensive training or a complex experimental s setting. The aim of this study is to develop a new instrument to assess sensitivity in adult caretaker of children aged 6 to 36 months, with few requirements for its use. The context of measurement involved a brief free-play interaction, which is filmed and encoded. The instrument was applied to a sample of 99 significant adult-child dyads and the videos analyzed with a rubric for each sensitivity indicator. Results show that the instrument has adequate psychometric properties and can be used in different familiar, educational or institutional contexts.