Currently the activities of several early intervention programs for
severely handicapped children are focusing on the quality of interaction
between mothers and their children (Assael, 1983). A variety of
intervention procedures are being designed to promote patterns of
interaction between mothers and their children that are likely to foster
children's development (Bromwich, 1978; MacDonald & Gillette, 1984;
Mahoney & Powell, 1984). Although this approach is consistent with
contemporary models of infant development (Sameroff & Chandler,
1975), it is generally difficult to evaluate its effects. One problem is the
lack of procedures that can feasibly be used in intervention programs to
quantify critical dimensions of maternal interactive behavior. The
purpose of the investigation reported here was to develop a short form