The Reliable Change Index (RCI; Jacobson & Truax, 1991) was used to provide an indication of whether the extent of change from pre- to post-intervention is statistically reliable for the ECBI Intensity Total, the ECBI Problem Total, and the PS Total (further details are provided in section 3.7.4). Table 4.5 displays the number and proportion of mothers who reported statistically reliable change on the ECBI Intensity Total, the ECBI Problem Total, and the PS Total from pre- and post-intervention for each condition. The results from chi-squared tests examining any differences in distribution between the two conditions and p values are also presented. Where there were fewer than five cases in a cell, Fisher’s exact chi-squared tests were used and are reported. Table 4.7 displays the same information for fathers.
The clinical cut-off scores were also used to examine movement in and out of the clinical range from pre- to post-intervention for the ECBI Intensity Total, the ECBI Problem Total, and the PS Total scores (see section 3.7.4 for further details). Table 4.6 displays the number and proportion of mothers who reported clinically significant change for each condition. The results from chi-squared tests examining the differences in distribution between the two conditions and p values are also presented in Table 4.6. Fathers’ movement in and out of the clinical range between pre- and post-intervention and results from the chi-squared tests are displayed in Table 4.8.
4.6.1 Mothers
Between approximately one-quarter and two-thirds of mothers reported statistically reliable improvements in their child’s disruptive behaviours and their parenting practices between pre- and post-intervention (see Table 4.5). Very few mothers in both conditions reported deterioration for these measures and 58.8-73.5% of mothers in the single exemplar condition and 34.1-53.7% of mothers in the multiple exemplar condition did not meet the criteria for statically reliable change for disruptive child behaviour and ineffective parenting practices.
Chi-squared analyses revealed a significant effect for mothers on the ECBI Intensity Total, but not on the ECBI Problem Total. More mothers in the multiple exemplar condition
reported statistically reliable improvements in the intensity of their child’s disruptive behaviour than mothers in the single exemplar condition. Although the proportion of mothers in the multiple exemplar condition who reported statistically reliable change for ineffective parenting practices was substantially larger than mothers in single exemplar condition, this difference in distribution was not statistically significant.
Between approximately one-quarter and one-half of mothers reported clinically significant improvements in their child disruptive behaviours and their parenting practices between pre- and post-intervention (see Table 4.6). A substantial proportion of mothers in both conditions reported that their child was not in the clinical range on the ECBI Intensity (29.4% and 26.8% for the single exemplar and multiple exemplar conditions respectively) and the ECBI Problem subscales (14.7% and 12.2% for the single exemplar and multiple exemplar conditions respectively). Furthermore, about one-quarter of mothers in both conditions were not in the clinical range for ineffective parenting practices. A small number of mothers reported their child’s behaviour or their parenting practices got worse between pre- and post- intervention (0.0-5.9%).
A significant effect was found for the proportion of mothers reporting clinically significant change on the ECBI Intensity Total. A greater proportion of mothers in the multiple exemplar condition reported clinically significant change (56.1%) when compared to mothers in the single exemplar condition (23.5%). Although more mothers in the multiple exemplar condition reported clinically significant change on the ECBI Problem Total and the PS Total than mothers in the single exemplar condition, these differences were not statistically significant.
Table 4.5 Statistically Reliable Change From Pre- and Post-Intervention by Condition for Mother-Rated Disruptive Child Behaviour and Parenting Practices
Measure Single exemplar (N = 34) Multiple exemplar (N = 41) χ 2 p n % n %
ECBI Intensity Total 6.96 .021
Reliably improved 11 32.4 26 63.4
Reliably deteriorated 3 8.8 1 2.4
No reliable change 20 58.8 14 34.1
ECBI Problem Total 5.41 .051
Reliably improved 10 29.4 21 51.2 Reliably deteriorated 2 5.9 0 0.0 No reliable change 22 64.7 19 46.3 PS Total 3.24 .106 Reliably improved 9 26.5 19 46.3 Reliably deteriorated 0 0.0 0 0.0 No reliable change 25 73.5 22 53.7
Note. Significant p values are bolded.
Table 4.6 Clinically Significant Change From Pre- and Post-Intervention by Condition for Mother-Rated Disruptive Child Behaviour and Parenting Practices
Measure Single exemplar (N = 34) Multiple exemplar (N= 41) χ2 p n % n %
ECBI Intensity Total 11.05 .009
Clinically significant change 8 23.5 23 56.1 Did not achieve clinical change 14 41.2 7 17.1
Worsened 2 5.9 0 0.0
Not in clinical range 10 29.4 11 26.8
ECBI Problem Total 7.50 .055
Clinically significant change 9 26.5 23 56.1 Did not achieve clinical change 18 52.9 12 29.3
Worsened 2 5.9 1 2.4
Not in clinical range 5 14.7 5 12.2
PS Total 6.41 .088
Clinically significant change 9 26.5 22 53.7 Did not achieve clinical change 14 41.2 8 19.5
Worsened 2 5.9 1 2.4
Not in clinical range 9 26.5 10 24.4
4.6.2 Fathers
A substantial number (51.6% on the ECBI Intensity Total and 48.4% on the ECBI Problem Total) of fathers in the multiple exemplar condition reported statistically reliable improvements in their child’s disruptive behaviours, whereas, fewer fathers (37.0% and 14.8% on the ECBI Intensity Total and ECBI Problem Total respectively) in the single exemplar condition reported reliable improvements (see Table 4.7). Between one-quarter and one-third of fathers reported improvements in their parenting practices that were statistically reliable. As with mothers, very few fathers in both conditions reported reliable deterioration in their child’s behaviour or their parenting practices. The proportion of fathers who did not report statistically reliable change in their child’s behaviour and their parenting practices ranged from 55.6-77.8% for the single exemplar condition and 41.9-64.5% for the multiple exemplar condition.
The chi-squared analyses showed that significantly more fathers in the multiple exemplar condition reported statistically reliable improvement in the number of disruptive behaviours displayed by their child (ECBI Problem Total) when compared to fathers in the single exemplar condition. The chi-squared analyses examining differences in reliable change of the ECBI Intensity Total and PS Total were not significant for fathers.
Improvements in the intensity and number of child disruptive behaviours were clinically significant for between 18.5% and 48.4% of fathers (see Table 4.8). A slightly larger proportion of fathers in the single exemplar condition reported clinically significant change in their parenting practices than did fathers in the multiple exemplar condition, although there were not statistically significant differences by condition. This may be because there were more fathers in the multiple exemplar condition whose PS Total scores were not in the clinical range at pre- and post-intervention.
The chi-squared test examining differences between the two conditions for the measures of child behaviour showed that the distribution differed significantly for the ECBI Problem Total but not for the ECBI Intensity Total (see Table 4.8). For the ECBI Problem Total, a significantly larger proportion of fathers in the multiple exemplar condition reported clinically significant change than those in the single exemplar condition.
Table 4.7 Statistically Reliable Change From Pre- and Post-Intervention by Condition for Father-Rated Disruptive Child Behaviour and Parenting Practices
Measure Single exemplar (n = 27) Multiple exemplar (n = 31) χ 2 p n % n %
ECBI Intensity Total 1.79 .461
Reliably improved 10 37.0 16 51.6
Reliably deteriorated 2 7.4 2 6.5
No reliable change 15 55.6 13 41.9
ECBI Problem Total 7.87 .015
Reliably improved 4 14.8 15 48.4 Reliably deteriorated 2 7.4 14 6.5 No reliable change 21 77.8 2 45.2 PS Total 1.45 .522 Reliably improved 6 22.2 10 32.3 Reliably deteriorated 0 0.0 1 3.2 No reliable change 21 77.8 20 64.5
Note. Significant p values are bolded.
Table 4.8 Clinically Significant Change From Pre- and Post-Intervention by Condition for Father-Rated Disruptive Child Behaviour and Parenting Practices
Measure Single exemplar (n = 27) Multiple exemplar (n = 31) χ2 p n % n %
ECBI Intensity Total 3.32 .339
Clinically significant change 8 29.6 15 48.4 Did not achieve clinical change 6 22.2 6 19.4
Worsened 1 3.7 0 0.0
Not in clinical range 12 44.4 10 32.3
ECBI Problem Total 8.35 .041
Clinically significant change 5 18.5 15 48.4 Did not achieve clinical change 12 44.4 6 19.4
Worsened 2 7.4 2 6.5
Not in clinical range 8 29.6 8 25.8
PS Total 3.46 .329
Clinically significant change 15 55.6 10 32.3 Did not achieve clinical change 4 14.8 7 22.6
Worsened 1 3.7 1 3.2
Not in clinical range 7 25.9 13 41.9