Development and validation of a scale that measures recollected caregiver sensitivity
LE3 .A278 2019
2019
Price, Lisa
Acadia University
Master of Science
Masters
Clinical Psychology
Psychology
Caregiver sensitivity is an essential component of healthy development. Experiences of sensitive caregiving in childhood are associated with better psychological and physical well-being in adulthood. The goal of the current research was to validate a new, retrospective measure of subjective experiences of caregiver sensitivity called the Recollected Caregiver Sensitivity Scale (RCSS). In Study 1, a pilot version of the RCSS was given to a 373-participant sample of undergraduate students and assessed using a Principal Components Analysis, bivariate correlations, and regression analyses. All items strongly loaded onto at least one of two core components, suggesting that none of the items needed to be eliminated. Almost all scales measuring theoretically related constructs were significantly correlated with the RCSS in the ways expected. The RCSS also predicted well-being over and above a self-report measure of attachment. In Study 2, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted, and construct validity and discriminant validity were assessed using web-based data collection from a diverse sample from across Canada. The CFA identified a 3-factor model that was a good fit for the data. The RCSS also significantly correlated with other measures of well-being in the ways expected; the exception was one measure that was worded to emphasize more prosocial behaviours, which are theoretically linked to caregiver sensitivity. The RCSS also predicted well-being over and above a known attachment measure as well as another measure of recollected caregiver sensitivity. Overall, the results from Studies 1 and 2 indicate that the RCSS is a promising new measure of caregiver sensitivity.
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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3350
