Material Selection in Observational Assessment of Maternal Sensitivity

Abstract

This study examines whether playdough or building blocks offer a more appropriate framework for assessing maternal sensitivity during interactive play between mother and child. A qualitatively-oriented mixed methods approach (QUAL + quan) was employed to analyze 48 video-recorded play sessions involving 24 mother-child dyads, with each dyad participating in both material conditions. Content and descriptive analyses were conducted across seven behavioral categories. The coding procedure involved two trained human coders and an artificial intelligence–assisted tool, with inter-coder reliability assessed using Cohen’s Kappa. A within-subjects design enhanced internal validity, and the Wilcoxon test was used for statistical comparisons. Quantitative findings showed that playdough yielded significantly higher scores across multiple dimensions of maternal sensitivity. Qualitative results further illuminated these differences, demonstrating that open-ended materials enhanced the authenticity and variability of interactions. The findings suggest that open-ended play materials offer a more ecologically valid and context-sensitive basis for observing relational behaviors such as maternal sensitivity, highlighting the methodological significance of material selection.