Validation of the StimQ Self Report: A Measure of Cognitive Stimulation in the Home

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Cognitively stimulating interactions such as reading, talking, and playing promote Early Relational Health (ERH) and support positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and have been an outcome of focus in many national cohorts and federally-funded intervention trials of children and families. There is considerable need to quantify cognitive stimulation, yet existing methodological approaches (e.g., observations, interviews) are time consuming and costly, limiting their use in studies where these methods are not feasible. The StimQ2 offers a parent-report alternative, which addresses multiple concerns presented by other measures of cognitive stimulation. It is a validated instrument designed to assess cognitive stimulation from infancy through the preschool period using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. It consists of structured questions, can be used in any setting, requires no observation, and can be administered without substantial training; it is available through free download. It was also designed to reduce social desirability bias and is one of the only measures that assesses multiple domains of cognitive stimulation. The instrument has been used extensively in research (in over 100 publications, translated to at least 10 languages). However, interview-based instruments still present challenges including staffing, time, and associated costs, resulting in a demand for measures that can be completed directly by parents through remote/online administration. We have therefore revised the StimQ2 for self-administration (StimQ2SR) and it is now being used in three large scale studies examining parenting, early childhood development, and school readiness among racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse families across the United States, with plans to administer it in a fourth study (>2,000 participants total). The use of the StimQ2SR in these studies presents a unique opportunity to examine the psychometric properties, criterion-related validity, and alternate forms reliability of the measure in the context of existing and ongoing initiatives. In this study, we will establish the validity and reliability of a self-report measure of the StimQ2, which will enable researchers and clinicians to easily and inexpensively assess cognitive stimulation in the home through a psychometrically sound parent self-report measure. Thus, the proposed study has two goals: Aim 1: Assess psychometric properties of the StimQ2SR. Aim 2: Assess criterion-related (concurrent, predictive) validity and alternate-forms reliability of the StimQ2SR. StimQ has been used across a broad range of research that requires assessment of cognitive stimulation. Establishment of reliability and validity for the self-report version of the measure would increase practicality for broad use, with potential applicability to the vast majority of early childhood developmental research, as well as clinical and educational practice. This work is highly relevant to recent NICHD priorities related to developmental interventions and outcome measures.