Development and validation of a new coding system for the Parent Development Interview

This thesis presents an investigation into the concept of parental representations. Part one systematically reviews the role of parenting representations within attachment theory, specifically the extent to which they mediate the concordance between parental and infant attachment. Part two details the development and validation of the 10 PDI, an accessible dimensional coding system, of parental representations for the Parent Development Interview (PDI). The development and initial tests of reliability are reported followed by further psychometric evaluation, through examination of inter-rater reliability and validity. Validity is explored via comparison to parent-infant behaviour, and consideration of the family's current social and emotional context. This research project used some of the same participants as two other D.Clin.Psy. theses (Gale, 2008; Woollaston, 2010). Full details of joint thesis contributions are provided in Appendix 1. In the final part of this thesis, I discuss my experiences of and reflections on conducting this investigation, highlighting the merits and limitations of the secondary use of research data