The purpose of this study was to develop a objective Play Observational Instrument(POI) for the play therapist. With this instrument, the play therapist would observe the childs play behaviors that related developmental functions during the first ses...
The purpose of this study was to develop a objective Play Observational Instrument(POI) for the play therapist. With this instrument, the play therapist would observe the childs play behaviors that related developmental functions during the first sessions of the child-centered play therapy(1~4 sessions). In addition, this study verified the reliability and the validity for the instrument.
In order to develop the instrument, pilot studies were conducted as mentioned in STUDY I. The reliability and the validity of the instrument was verified in STUDY II.
In STUDY I, two pilot studies have been conducted. The total of six areas were set up that included behavior, language, emotion, sociality, content of play and other symptoms, and 46 subordinate items based on the references and clinical experiences in the first pilot study. After the verification of content validity by 10 professionals, the pilot instrument containing 46 items was preliminary tested by 50 children. The second pilot study conducted a qualitative analysis of a videotape that recorded the initial sessions of the play therapy with 40 children aged from four to nine. As a result, the number of observational areas was reduced to three, forms of play(cognition), contents of play(emotion) and attitudes of play(sociality). In addition, the total number of the subordinate items were adjusted to 49. After consulting 20 professional evaluators evaluating the content validity of the items with the 5-points scale, the number of items was readjusted to 44.
In STUDY II, the selected 44 items were tested by 44 children aged from four to nine. Those children visited for play therapy centers because of the emotional and behavioral problems. The reliability of the scale was computed by interrater reliability and Cronbachs α coefficient. Interrater reliability was 97.0%, 98.1% and 95.2% for each of the areas. Alpha coefficient was α= .77, .89 and .86.
Construct validity and concurrent validity were tested to assess the validity of the instrument. Factor analysis was used to verify construct validity. Nonparametric Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to verify concurrent validity. As a result of factor analysis, the instrument consisted of four factors of forms of play, two factors of contents of play, and three factors of attitudes of play. The number of items were cut down to 37, and the explained-variable values were 82.4%, 74.6% and 64.5%. Inter-factor correlation for the factors were measured at .25~.48, .47 and .39~.55.
As part of the verification process of concurrent validity, children were divided into two groups in terms of mothers reports and specialists opinions. Children in one group had internalized problems while those in the other group showed externalized problems. Each group showed significant differences for the three observational areas (i.e., forms of play, contents of play, and attitudes of play). This result also supported the validity of POI. The result of the concurrent validity, this instrument was verified to discriminate between internalized children and externalized children.
This study was significant because this was the first play observational instrument that was not developed yet in Korea. Consequently, the result of this study will help play therapists and clinicians working for children in order to provide better service as well treatment.