Introduction: Using clear explicit translatable language, we translated the Welch Emotional Connection Screen into a new universal language instrument, the English uWECS. In this study, we had two aims: Aim 1 was to establish concurrent validity of the uWECS by comparing scores coded by primary Spanish-speaking coders using the Spanish translation of the uWECS to scores coded by bilingual, secondary Spanish-speaking coders using the oWECS. Aim 2 was to establish the criterion-related validity in terms of oWECS and uWECS performance in tracking change in autonomic emotional connection (AEC) during the course of an intervention among preschool aged children.

Methods: We created a library of 52 five-minute Spanish-speaking mother-child videos that were collected during a randomized controlled trial of Mother-Child Emotional Preparation intervention (MCEP). The videos were collected at two time points, at enrollment and at a 6-month follow-up. The subsample of Primary Spanish-Speaking dyads from the MCEP study were coded by two independent teams of coders. We trained primary English-speaking (bilingual Spanish) coders on the oWECS, using the original training program. A different team of primary Spanish-speaking coders coded the same cases using the novel uWECS guide and trained briefly for reliability with the Spanish uWECS translation materials.

Results: We found that the Spanish oWECS and Spanish uWECS ratings from the baseline and 6-month follow-up observations were robustly correlated, with intraclass correlations ranging from .81 to .84 and all p-values<.001, thus demonstrating sound concurrent validity for the uWECS. The oWECS and uWECS scores also achieved parallel results when evaluating the efficacy of the MCEP for primary Spanish-speaking dyads. Both the AEC scores of the oWECS [F(1, 27) = 4.31, p < .05] and the scores of the uWECS [F(1,27) = 4.06, p < .05] similarly demonstrated significant change post intervention, thus demonstrating sound criterion-related validity of the uWECS.

Discussion: These findings demonstrate that the uWECS can be used to measure parent/child AEC in linguistically diverse populations and cultures.