PROJECT SUMMARY
Negative parenting (e.g., hostility) predicts child and adolescent mental health disorders, whereas positive
parenting (e.g., warmth) predicts fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms and better socioemotional
well-being. Parenting practices are at the forefront of child mental health interventions, which underscores the
importance of measuring parenting accurately. Improved assessment of parenting practices has critical
implications for 1) clinical screening into services, 2) identifying needs for additional support during
interventions, and 3) monitoring intervention progress. Therefore, comprehensive measures that capture
multiple dimensions of parenting are needed to address these key clinical and research needs. While there is
rising interest in family research focusing on racial and ethnic diversity, there is an unmet need for a valid,
reliable, and equitable assessments of parenting practices in racially and ethnically diverse populations. The
Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS) is a comprehensive measure of parenting practices
with strong psychometric properties, and efficiently assesses 7 dimensions of parenting using only 34 items.
Despite its high utility, the MAPS is limited in that it was developed in a predominantly White sample (87%).
Preliminary data from our team and others shows that measures of parenting developed in White samples,
including the MAPS, can mischaracterize non-White people. Therefore, the aim of this project is to extend the
utility of the MAPS to racially and ethnically diverse families. Specifically, we plan to 1) refine MAPS items
using qualitative interviews to reduce bias, and 2) quantitatively, (a) establish the Revised MAPS factor
structure, and (b) assess reliability, validity, and measurement invariance/equivalence (a method for testing
measurement bias). Quantitative and qualitative (i.e., mixed) data will be collected using community-based
participatory research (CBPR) to enhance the psychometric properties of the MAPS by engaging racial and
ethnic minorities. The proposed project is innovative because it leverages CBPR, qualitative data, and complex
statistical modeling to revise a multidimensional assessment of parenting for diverse populations. Qualitative
methods will address issues with phrasing, bias, literacy demands, ambiguity, and cognitive difficulty, making
the Revised MAPS more accessible to the general population. Advanced quantitative methods will ensure
strong psychometric properties. Racial and ethnic minorities currently comprise 40% of the US population and
are expected to become the majority by 2045. Using this multimethod approach applied in a novel way, the
Revised MAPS will further increase the utility of the MAPS by extension to this historically underrepresented
segment of the US population. A more inclusive and equitable measure of parenting practices will enhance the
accuracy of determining when to intervene and how to prevent negative or ineffective parenting in racially and
ethnically diverse families. This project will thus optimize parenting interventions for racial and ethnic
minorities, consistent with NIMH's mission of preventing and treating mental health disorders.
