THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE MATERNAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF THEIR INFANTS AT BIRTH.
Contributors: University of Cincinnati.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 96
Subjects: Psychology, Psychometrics.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to develop and conduct initial psychometric testing on the K.A.H. Maternal Perception Instrument (KAHMPI). The proposed use for the instrument is to measure maternal perceptions of the physical appearance of their newborns at birth. The ethological perspective of the attachment theory provided the framework for the study as well as the basis for the variable selection. Instrument variables were submitted to two rounds of content validity assessment by two groups of twelve Caucasian mothers who had delivered a normal infant within the last three months. Items were deleted or modified based on a pre-established percent of agreement score of.86. Fifteen retained items were assembled into a semantic differential format. The KAHMPI was tested with a convenience sample of 45 Caucasian mothers within five minutes of the time that they had the opportunity to see and hold their babies after birth. Reliability coefficient for the 15 paired items using Cronbach's alpha was (r =.91). To test concurrent validity of the concept cuteness and the KAHMPI, a single Likert type question was placed at the end of the instrument. Pearson Product-Moment Coefficient revealed a correlation coefficient (r =.77). Recommendations for further testing of the KAHMPI include further psychometric testing to advance the reliability and validity findings with a larger, similar sample subject pool.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-08, Section: B, page: 4634.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, 1995.

School code: 0045.