Erken Dönem Ebeveynlik Desteği: Anne Duyarlığı ve Güvenli Bağlanmayı Arttırmaya Yönelik Müdahale Programı Uygulaması

Previous research has shown that caregiving behaviors that are ‘sensitive’ can be increased through positive feedback based systematic interventions. This project aims to adapt, implement, and empirically test the effectiveness of the VIPP: Video-Feedback Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting (Juffer et. A., 1993; 2008), which has been shown to be highly effective in a vast number of studies in enhancing positive parenting practices and maternal sensitivity in the Western cultures. First, interveners were certified through training and the translation of the manual, tests and other related documents were completed, and then the research was conducted in two major cities of Turkey, Ankara (n = 76) and İstanbul (n = 27) for two years. Mothers (N = 103) were coming from low-SES backgrounds. Using a randomized control trial design, mother-child dyads were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 63) and control (n = 40) groups. A number of video recordings, observational assessments, and self-report measures were employed in the periods of pretest, posttest, and follow-up. Maternal sensitivity and child’s attachment security were assessed through observation-based measures. Mothers were also asked to complete a set of self-report measures assessing child temperament and psychological adjustment as well as their parental stress, relationship satisfaction, and own attachment orientations. Results have shown that mothers and children in the intervention and control groups were not significantly different in terms of their basic characteristics in the pretest. GLM Repeated Measures analyses using 2 factor (intervention X control) X 3 time (pretest, posttest and follow-up) yielded significant differences on three out of 10 main outcome variables. Specifically, interaction effects were significant on Ainsworth Sensitivity Scale, self-reported maternal attitudes toward sensitivity, and marital satisfaction, indicating that mothers’ sensitivity and related attitudes were positively changed and their marital satisfaction were enhanced following the intervention. Additional analyses that were conducted comparing the pretest and posttest as well as pretest and follow-up measures within the control and the intervention groups separately, suggested that the levels of maternal sensitivity measured by the MBQS, and the child attachment security measured by the AQS have increased in the intervention group in the posttest and follow-up periods. Moreover, children’s internalization problems significantly decreased in the intervention group. Finally, to better understand the effectiveness of the VIPP, potential risk groups (High Risk vs. Low Risk) were created using the median split on a number of variables, such as the level of psychological symptoms and attachment avoidance. The findings suggested that compared to the control group, mothers who were categorized in the high-risk groups benefited more from the intervention. Overall, xi results have demonstrated that the effectiveness of the VIPP application had a moderate effect size and may have higher effect size if it is applied to the mothers from disadvantaged groups. The limitations of the study, suggestions, and directions for both future interveners and researchers were discussed. In sum, within the scope of the current project, an effective intervention instrument targeting to enhance maternal sensitivity and child security in the early years of children in Turkey has been adapted and validated as well as a number of measures were provided for the future interveners and researchers in this arena.