Ratings of Parent-Infant Interaction: Raising Questions of Cultural Validity

Interactions with caregivers appear to have a special role in infant development. Much attention has been given to determining the characteristics of optimal interaction and to translating what is known into intervention practice. To assist in this process, a number of parent-infant interaction rating scales have been developed. This article examines the assumption that the same interactive characteristics are meaningful and important across cultures, using literature from very different cultures to illustrate relationships among cultural values, views of good parenting, and parents' interactions with their infants. Given this literature, questions are raised concerning the validity of current parent-infant interaction rating scales.