Effects of Video Feedback on Early Coercive Parent-Child Interactions: The Intervening Role of Caregivers' Relational Schemas

We examined the effect of adding a video feedback intervention component to the assessment feedback session of the Family Check-Up (FCU) intervention (Dishion & Stormshak, 2007). We hypothesized that the addition of video feedback procedures during the FCU feedback at child age 2 would have a positive effect on caregivers' negative relational schemas of their child, which in turn would mediate reductions in observed coercive caregiver-child interactions assessed at age 5. We observed the caregiver-child interaction videotapes of 79 high-risk families with toddlers exhibiting clinically significant problem behaviors. A quasi-random sample of families was provided with direct feedback on their interactions during the feedback session of the FCU protocol. Path analysis indicated that reviewing and engaging in feedback about videotaped age 2 assessment predicted reduced caregivers' negative relational schemas of the child at age 3, which acted as an intervening variable on the reduction of observed parent-child coercive interactions recorded at age 5. Video feedback predicted improved family functioning over and above level of engagement in the FCU in subsequent years, indicating the important incremental contribution of using video feedback procedures in early family-based preventive interventions for problem behaviors. Supportive video feedback on coercive family dynamics is an important strategy for promoting caregiver motivation to reduce negative attributions toward the child, which fuel coercive interactions. Our study also contributes to the clinical and research literature concerning coercion theory and effective intervention strategies by identifying a potential mechanism of change.