*Article* **Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Brazilian Portuguese Version of an Observational Measure for Parent–Child Responsive Caregiving**

**Alessandra Schneider 1, Michelle Rodrigues 1, Olesya Falenchuk 2, Tiago N. Munhoz 3,4, Aluisio J. D. Barros 4, Joseph Murray 4,5, Marlos R. Domingues <sup>6</sup> and Jennifer M. Jenkins 1,\***


**Abstract:** Responsive caregiving is the dimension of parenting most consistently related to later child functioning in both developing and developed countries. There is a growing need for efficient, psychometrically sound and culturally appropriate measurement of this construct. This study describes the cross-cultural validation in Brazil of the Responsive Interactions for Learning (RIFL-P) measure, requiring only eight minutes for assessment and coding. The cross-cultural adaptation used a recognized seven-step procedure. The adapted version was applied to a stratified sample of 153 Brazilian mother–child (18 months) dyads. Videos of mother–child interaction were coded using the RIFL-P and a longer gold standard parenting assessment. Mothers completed a survey on child stimulation (18 months) and child outcomes were measured at 24 months. Internal consistency (α = 0.94), inter-rater reliability (*r* = 0.83), and intra-rater reliability (*r* = 0.94) were all satisfactory to high. RIFL-P scores were significantly correlated with another measurement of parenting (*r*'s ranged from 0.32 to 0.47, *p* < 0.001), stimulation markers (*r* = 0.34, *p* < 0.01), and children's cognition (*r* = 0.29, *p* < 0.001), language (*r* = 0.28, *p* < 0.001), and positive behavior (*r* = 0.17, *p* < 0.05). The Brazilian Portuguese version is a valid and reliable instrument for a brief assessment of responsive caregiving.

**Keywords:** responsive caregiving; parent–child interaction; observational measurement; thin slice methodology; low- and middle-income countries; Brazil
