Um instrumento psicométrico de coparentalidade: escolha, adaptação transcultural e evidências iniciais de validade interna
Resumo
Coparenting involves interactions between the mother and father of a child for whom
they are jointly responsible. However, when a review of the Brazilian literature was
conducted, no studies on the validation of coparenting instruments, for use in Brazil,
were found. Thus, the objectives of this study were: (a) compare coparenting
instruments described in the international literature, and select the one with the strongest
theoretical foundations and the most robust psychometric properties, to adapt for use in
Brazil; and (b) compare the Brazilian version of the selected instrument with the
original version, to verify their semantic, conceptual, cultural, idiomatic, operational
and measurement equivalence. Using a systematic search in electronic databases, 35
articles about the validation of eight coparenting instruments were found. After
analyzing the theoretical and psychometric evidence, the Coparenting Relationship
Scale (CRS) was chosen, to adapt for use in Brazil. Next, an initial translation of the
CRS was revised, using the transcultural adaptation process, leading to the preparation
of the Escala da Relação Coparental (ERC). In the final step of this process, individual
interviews were conducted with each member of 25 couples, who all had at least one
child between 3 and 6 years of age. The participants ranged in age between 24 and 49
years, and the couples earned an average of BRL 6,420.00 (sd = BRL 4,598.54), a
month. For each item of the instrument, the participants: (a) indicated the extent to
which the behavior being described represented their own coparenting relationship
(using a scale of agreement, ranging from 0 to 6); (b) indicated if they believed that
these behaviors influenced the quality of the interactions established by couples raising
children, and, if so, how positive or negative this impact would be (evaluated using a
scale from 1 to 10); and (c) gave examples of situations in which they had behaved in
the described way. The levels of internal consistency for the ERC were within the
expected range for three of the seven subscales. Average subscale scores were high on
the positive dimensions (4.53 to 5.35) and low on the two negative subscales (0.63 and
0.78). Between 76 – 100% of the respondents rated each behavior as positive or
negative, in accordance with the structure of the original instrument, and their examples
confirmed this. Thus, the results of this study indicate that coparenting is being
incorporated into parenting relationships, in Brazil, and that the participants’
perceptions of the ERC are convergent with the structure of the original version.
However, the ERC must be tested with a second sample, to verify and resolve possible
internal consistency problems, in addition to conducting studies to obtain evidence of
the validity of this instrument, based on relationships with external variables. If the ERC
can be validated for use in Brazil, it will be useful for evaluating intervention programs
that aim to increase parents’ positive interactions, with respect to raising their children.