title: Quantifying peer interactions for research and clinical use: the Manchester Inventory for Playground Observation.
abstract: Direct observation of peer relating is potentially a sensitive and ecologically valid measure of child social functioning, but there has been a lack of standardised methods. The Manchester Inventory for Playground Observation (MIPO) was developed as a practical yet rigorous assessment of this kind for 5-11 year olds. We report on the initial reliability and validity of the MIPO and its ability to distinguish social impairments within different psychopathologies. We observed 144 clinically referred children aged 5;00-11;11 (mean 8.8) years with Externalising (n = 44), Internalising (n = 19), Autism Spectrum Disorders (n = 39) or Specific Language Impairment (n = 42), and 44 class-controls, in naturalistic playground interaction. Observers, blind to clinical diagnosis, completed the MIPO and the teacher checklist from the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS). MIPO items showed high internal consistency (alpha = .924; all 'alpha if item deleted' values>.91), inter-observer reliability (mean κ(w) = .77) and test-retest stability (over 2 weeks; mean κ(w) = .58). MIPO totals showed convergence with SSRS (n = 68, r(s) = .78, p<.01) and excellent discrimination between case and control (sensitivity = 0.75 and specificity = 0.88, AUC = .897). Externalising, Autistic Spectrum and Language Impaired groups showed distinct profiles of MIPO impairment consistent with theory:Internalising disorders less so. 65.3% of clinical cases were classified accurately for primary diagnosis. The MIPO shows reliability and validity as a measure of children's social functioning relevant in developmental research and as a clinical tool to aid differential diagnosis and intervention planning.
authors.affiliation: Dept Human Communication and Deafness, Ellen Wilkinson Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. jenny.l.gibson@postrgad.manchester.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Jamilla
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Samina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holsgrove
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000145:classification* / Q000523:psychology; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D010379:Peer Group; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology; D002666:Psychology, Child / Q000379:methods*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012919:Social Behavior; D006113:United Kingdom