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Abstract
Background: Narrative methods can allow researchers to gather rich data from children regarding their perceptions of their relationship with parents that may not otherwise be captured using tasks, questionnaires, or structured interviews; however, existing coding systems have been established with samples that are largely White and middle class. The current study sought to establish child-inspired codes that would better reflect the sample.
Methods: Children aged 5-12 years (M=8.82, 48.9% female) and their caregivers were recruited from high-poverty urban US areas. All participants identified as Black or African American. Children were audiotaped while speaking, uninterrupted, for three minutes about their relationship with their primary caregiver (TMSS; Marshall et al., 1990). A team of five researchers - diverse in race, ethnicity, and background - established a codebook using in-vivo methods, dually coded N=51 transcripts via thematic analysis, and analyzed codes for emergent themes (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Results: Coders identified N=671 codes from the transcripts, of which 332 (49.5%) were unique codeable units. Five themes emerged from the data: interactions, feelings about caregiver, emotional closeness, reciprocity, and insight.
Conclusions: The use of open-ended speech sampling coupled with qualitative coding allowed cataloging of Black children’s own perceptions of the parent-child relationship. Children emphasized time spent together, mutual understanding, & reciprocity. Many children also showed insight into parents’ perspectives and motivations, including financial awareness. Previous work indicates this dyadic reciprocity may be one way families protect themselves against the negative consequences of financial difficulties (Wilhoit et al., 2021).
Publication Date
2022
Keywords
narrative methods, three-minute speech sample, parent-child relationships, child perceptions
Disciplines
Child Psychology | Developmental Psychology
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Marcia A. Winter
Is Part Of
VCU Graduate Research Posters