The effects of video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting and sensitive discipline for maternal sensitivity in Turkey

The aim of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive adaptation of a Video-feedback Intervention to promote ‘Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline’ (VIPP-SD) in Turkey, and to assess its effectiveness on maternal sensitivity. The study included mothers of 9-33-months-old children, with a relatively lower SES, from Ankara and İstanbul (Nfemale = 48). The sample was randomly divided into two groups as control and intervention. Four thematic meetings regarding sensitivity and sensitive discipline were held with the 59 mothers who were in the intervention group. Through intervention sessions, mothers were shown and provided with feedback on short videos, in which they had been recorded in the previous session, interacting with their children. Maternal sensitivity was evaluated through the ‘Ainsworth Maternal Sensitivity Scale’ by coding the recorded video clips showing mother-child interactions. Maternal behaviors and attitudes towards discipline were assessed by the ‘Maternal Attitudes toward Sensitivity and Sensitive Discipline Scale’. The results showed that there was a significant increase in mothers’ observed maternal sensitivity and reported attitudes toward maternal sensitivity in the intervention group between pre-test and post-test assessments, whereas there was no significant change in the control group. There was no significant effect of the program on self-reported attitudes toward sensitive discipline. These results suggest that VIPPSD is effective in increasing maternal sensitivity in low-middle SES mothers in the relatively collectivistic culture of Turkey.