Parent-Child Interaction System (PARCHISY) A list of publications using PARCHISY can be found here

Purpose and population: PARCHISY was designed as an observer’s research tool for use with children 3-12 years of age. It has not been validated for clinical use, and is rarely used in studies of infants or teens, so keep that in mind if you intend to use it to either of those ends. Utility: PARCHISY has been used by a number of laboratories in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Mexico and Israel with clinical and community samples.

Instrument: The 18 global observer rating codes (and a sample codesheet) for PARCHISY are available on request. There is no manual. This was designed as a simple ‘questionnaire’ to be completed by the observer at the end of the observation period.

Training: Training is simple and intuitive, and should be based on your own laboratory’s standard practice. We have found that coders are either quickly reliable, or not; we simply select out coders who are not reliable within a couple hours’ training.

Tasks: Researchers have used PARCHISY with a variety of tasks, but it was originally designed for the parent and child each to operate a dial on Ohio Art’s “Etch A Sketch” toy while they draw pictures together (stimuli available on request) without touching each other’s dial. PARCHISY can be modified to accommodate many types of tasks and populations of children and parents.

How to cite: If and when you present or publish your data please cite it using both of these references (Deater-Deckard, 2000; Deater-Deckard, Pylas, & Petrill, 1997):

Deater-Deckard, K. (2000). Parenting and child behavioral adjustment in early childhood: A quantitative genetic approach to studying family processes and child development. Child Development, 71, 468-484.

Deater-Deckard, K., Pylas, M. V., & Petrill, S. A. (1997). Parent-Child Interaction System (PARCHISY). London, UK: Institute of Psychiatry.

Distribution and support: There is no charge to use PARCHISY, but please do not distribute it to others. If someone else is interested, have them contact me directly. This way, I can ensure that every new user is working from the original and not some modified version of it. I am happy to answer any questions that arise, and to consult with you as you utilize the PARCHISY.