| Abstract: | The Monadic Phases Coding System (MP) and the Maximally Discriminative Facial Movement Coding System (MAX) are both widely used to define and quantify categories of infant affective behavior. To evaluate the validity of extrapolating research findings from one system to another, we used both systems to code videotapes of 12 four-month-old infants engaged in mother–infant interaction. Interobserver agreement was higher with MP; interobserver reliability was equivalent. Point estimates for the percentages of negative and positive, but not interest, expressions were equivalent. MP and MAX generally agreed about the type of expression presented. Intersystem correlations supported the concurrent, but not discriminant, validity of MP and MAX categories. Interest expressions were not orthogonal to negative and positive affect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
