Development and validation of the MIPPE: A novel dyadic assessment tool for early parent-child interactions in clinical practice

Early parent-child interactions are crucial for child development. Existing assessment scales have several limitations: intensive training often exceeding 40 hours, administration time up to two hours, and unbalanced distribution of items to the detriment of the dyadic dimension of interactions. Our study aims to develop and validate the MIPPE (Measure of Early Parent-Child Interactions), a scale adapted for daily clinical practice that assesses the quality of early interactions while integrating the dyadic dimension. The MIPPE scale was developed within the PERL program in Eastern France. After several revisions, the final version includes 9 items scored from 0 to 3. Validation is based on the analysis of 228 parent-child interaction videos from 123 dyads at 4 and 24 months, divided between intervention (N = 62) and control groups (N = 61). The MIPPE demonstrates acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.92, McDonald’s ω = 0.93). Exploratory factor analysis reveals a unidimensional structure explaining 66% of the variance, confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFI = 1.000, TLI = 1.002, RMSEA = 0.000). Inter-item correlations range from 0.34 to 0.67, indicating satisfactory cohesion. Clinical thresholds have been established: 15 and 20 (optimal sensitivity 87%). The MIPPE constitutes an accessible, rapid, and psychometrically validated assessment tool for early childhood professionals. It facilitates early screening of interactional difficulties and referral to interventions, thus contributing to the prevention of developmental disorders and parental support.