ParentingNCT05539170
Parents' Differential Susceptibility to Microtrial
A study testing Immediate positive parenting feedback in people with Parenting and Child Behavior, run by Tilburg University at 1 site in Netherlands.
Trial summary
This randomized controlled microtrial, not just focus on parental (and child) responsiveness but also on an underlying physiological mechanism hypothesized to contribute to heightened susceptibility to parenting interventions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Parenting, Child Behavior, Parent-Child Relations
- What is being tested?
- Immediate positive parenting feedback
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 101 participants
- Where
- 1 siteNetherlands
- Study dates
- 1 Nov 2022to 14 Feb 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Parents with children aged 4-6 years.
Who cannot join
- psychiatric/neurological disorder (as reported by the parent)
- mental retardation (IQ < 70)
- not mastering the Dutch language, and
- that their child is not living in another household during the weekdays
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Netherlands1 site
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tilburg, 5037 AB
About this study
Official title: Parents' Differential Susceptibility to a Randomized Controlled Microtrial: The Role of Physiological Signals as Underlying Mechanism
This randomized controlled microtrial, not just focus on parental (and child) responsiveness but also on an underlying physiological mechanism hypothesized to contribute to heightened susceptibility to parenting interventions.
Read the detailed description
After being informed about the study, all participants giving written informed consent will be randomly assigned to the "micro" intervention condition (i.e., immediate positive parenting feedback) or care-as-usual control condition in a singe-blind manner in a 1:1 ratio.
- Conditions
- Parenting, Child Behavior, Parent-Child Relations
- Being tested
- Immediate positive parenting feedback
- Keywords
- differential susceptibility, parenting, intervention efficacy, randomized controlled microtrial
- Medical subject headings
- Child Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Immediate positive parenting feedbackBehavioural
Individual positive feedback concerning their parenting and their child's behavior.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| "micro" parenting intervention | Experimental | Parents will be instructed to bring the completed questionnaires with them to the university lab. Then, in the lab, parents will be observed interacting with their child. Following these baseline conditions, half of the parents will receive the "micro" parenting intervention-in the form of individual positive feedback concerning their parenting and their child's behavior. Receives: Behavioral: Immediate positive parenting feedback |
| care-as-usual condition | No intervention | Participants in the care-as-usual control condition receive no immediate positive parenting feedback but will also be taken aside without their child, receiving only the instructions of the experiment. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Parental self-efficacy beliefs assessed with the General Scale of Parental Self-Efficacy Beliefs (GSPSEB) at pretest, posttest and follow-up
This 25-item scale is related to five domain-specific SEB factors: Discipline, Nurturance, Playing, Instrumental Care, and Teaching. Self-efficacy beliefs in parenting can be evaluated as a quantitative construct by asking parents their beliefs in specific parenting activities, such as teaching, playing, providing instrumental care, nurturing or disciplining their child. Items are in the form of affirmatives, for example: ''I am able to sense when my child is starting to become distressed'' for the Nurturance subscale. The items will be rated on a 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree).
Measured: Parenting change: baseline (pretest), after 2 weeks (posttest), and after 4 weeks (follow-up)
Parenting behavior assessed with the short version of the Parental Behavior Scale (PBS-S) at pretest, posttest and follow-up
This questionnaire consists of 25 items and comprises five subscales: Positive parenting (e.g., "I make time to listen to my child, when he/she wants to tell me something"), Discipline (e.g., "When my child has been disobedient, I give him/her a chore as punishment"), Harsh Punishment (e.g., "I spank my child when he/she is disobedient or naughty"), Material Rewarding (e.g., "I give my child candy as a reward for good behavior"), and Rule Setting (e.g., "I teach my child to be polite at school"). A 5-point scale is provided for each item, ranging from 1 = (almost) never to 5 = (almost) always.
Measured: Parenting change: baseline (pretest), after 2 weeks (posttest), and after 4 weeks (follow-up)
Observed parenting behavior assessed with the Crowell Parent-Child interaction taks at pretest and posttest
The Crowell observation task takes 20 minutes to complete and consists of four episodes: warm-up, free play, frustration task, and recovery time. The parent scales (i.e., positive affect, autonomy support, negative affect, withdrawal, controlling behavior and laxness/inconsistent) are each internally consistent and well-defined conceptually. High internal consistency for each scale provides support for the reliability of the rating scale, and suggests that the Crowell scores can be useful as scale to measure caregiver responsiveness, but also collectively as a total score assessing overall relational functioning.
Measured: Parenting change: baseline/pretest observation at lab (before intervention) and posttest observation at same labvisit (after intervention)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Child externalizing problem assessed with the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) at pretest, posttest and follow-up.
One subscale assessing the degree to which child externalizing problem is a problem from the 36-item Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) will be used to assess the occurrence of child externalizing problem behavior. This "Intensity" subscale measures frequency of externalizing behavior in children aged 2 to 16 years and has been shown to be a reliable (screening) instrument (3). Example items are: "Does not obey house rules" and "Whines."
Measured: Change in child behavior: baseline (pretest), after 2 weeks (posttest), and after 4 weeks (follow-up)
Observed child behavior assessed with the Crowell Parent-Child interaction taks at pretest and posttest
The Crowell observation task takes 20 minutes to complete and consists of four episodes: warm-up, free play, frustration task, and recovery time. The child scales (i.e., positive affect, persistence/enthusiasms, irritability/negative affect, and noncompliance) are each internally consistent and well-defined conceptually. High internal consistency for each scale provides support for the reliability of the rating scale, and suggests that the Crowell scores can be useful as scale to measure child's affective presentation, but also collectively as a total score assessing overall relational functioning.
Measured: Change in child behavior: baseline/pretest observation at lab (before intervention) and posttest observation at same labvisit (after intervention)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Sep 2022
- Study start1 Nov 2022
- Primary completion14 Feb 2025
- Study completion14 Feb 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for ParentingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- "micro" parenting intervention vs. care-as-usual control condition
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 101 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Tilburg University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Rabia Chhangur, Tilburg University
- Investigators
- Rabia R. Chhangur, PhD, Principal investigator, Tilburg University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05539170
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- TSB_RP604
- Status last verified
- Apr 2025
- First submitted
- 6 Sep 2022
- Last updated
- 14 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Chhangur RR, Belsky J. Parents' differential susceptibility to a "micro" parenting intervention: Rationale and study protocol for a randomized controlled microtrial. PLoS One. 2023 Mar 22;18(3):e0282207. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282207. eCollection 2023.
PubMed 36947489
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Parents' Differential Susceptibility to a Randomized Controlled Microtrial: The Role of Physiological Signals as Underlying Mechanism
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05539170
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TSB_RP604
- Conditions
- Parenting, Child Behavior, Parent-Child Relations
- Keywords
- differential susceptibility, parenting, intervention efficacy, randomized controlled microtrial
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 101 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Tilburg UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Nov 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 14 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 14 Feb 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Sep 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This randomized controlled microtrial, not just focus on parental (and child) responsiveness but also on an underlying physiological mechanism hypothesized to contribute to heightened susceptibility to parenting interventions.
Detailed description
After being informed about the study, all participants giving written informed consent will be randomly assigned to the "micro" intervention condition (i.e., immediate positive parenting feedback) or care-as-usual control condition in a singe-blind manner in a 1:1 ratio.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- "micro" parenting intervention vs. care-as-usual control condition
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| "micro" parenting intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Immediate positive parenting feedbackParents will be instructed to bring the completed questionnaires with them to the university lab. Then, in the lab, parents will be observed interacting with their child. Following these baseline conditions, half of the parents will receive the "micro" parenting intervention-in the form of individual positive feedback concerning their parenting and their child's behavior. |
| care-as-usual condition | No intervention | –Participants in the care-as-usual control condition receive no immediate positive parenting feedback but will also be taken aside without their child, receiving only the instructions of the experiment. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Parents with children aged 4-6 years.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- psychiatric/neurological disorder (as reported by the parent)
- mental retardation (IQ < 70)
- not mastering the Dutch language, and
- that their child is not living in another household during the weekdays
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate positive parenting feedbackIndividual positive feedback concerning their parenting and their child's behavior. | Behavioural | "micro" parenting intervention |
Primary outcome
Parental self-efficacy beliefs assessed with the General Scale of Parental Self-Efficacy Beliefs (GSPSEB) at pretest, posttest and follow-up
Time frame: Parenting change: baseline (pretest), after 2 weeks (posttest), and after 4 weeks (follow-up)
This 25-item scale is related to five domain-specific SEB factors: Discipline, Nurturance, Playing, Instrumental Care, and Teaching. Self-efficacy beliefs in parenting can be evaluated as a quantitative construct by asking parents their beliefs in specific parenting activities, such as teaching, playing, providing instrumental care, nurturing or disciplining their child. Items are in the form of affirmatives, for example: ''I am able to sense when my child is starting to become distressed'' for the Nurturance subscale. The items will be rated on a 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree).
Parenting behavior assessed with the short version of the Parental Behavior Scale (PBS-S) at pretest, posttest and follow-up
Time frame: Parenting change: baseline (pretest), after 2 weeks (posttest), and after 4 weeks (follow-up)
This questionnaire consists of 25 items and comprises five subscales: Positive parenting (e.g., "I make time to listen to my child, when he/she wants to tell me something"), Discipline (e.g., "When my child has been disobedient, I give him/her a chore as punishment"), Harsh Punishment (e.g., "I spank my child when he/she is disobedient or naughty"), Material Rewarding (e.g., "I give my child candy as a reward for good behavior"), and Rule Setting (e.g., "I teach my child to be polite at school"). A 5-point scale is provided for each item, ranging from 1 = (almost) never to 5 = (almost) always.
Observed parenting behavior assessed with the Crowell Parent-Child interaction taks at pretest and posttest
Time frame: Parenting change: baseline/pretest observation at lab (before intervention) and posttest observation at same labvisit (after intervention)
The Crowell observation task takes 20 minutes to complete and consists of four episodes: warm-up, free play, frustration task, and recovery time. The parent scales (i.e., positive affect, autonomy support, negative affect, withdrawal, controlling behavior and laxness/inconsistent) are each internally consistent and well-defined conceptually. High internal consistency for each scale provides support for the reliability of the rating scale, and suggests that the Crowell scores can be useful as scale to measure caregiver responsiveness, but also collectively as a total score assessing overall relational functioning.
2 secondary outcomes
Child externalizing problem assessed with the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) at pretest, posttest and follow-up.
Time frame: Change in child behavior: baseline (pretest), after 2 weeks (posttest), and after 4 weeks (follow-up)
Observed child behavior assessed with the Crowell Parent-Child interaction taks at pretest and posttest
Time frame: Change in child behavior: baseline/pretest observation at lab (before intervention) and posttest observation at same labvisit (after intervention)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Aug 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 36947489Chhangur RR, Belsky J. Parents' differential susceptibility to a "micro" parenting intervention: Rationale and study protocol for a randomized controlled microtrial. PLoS One. 2023 Mar 22;18(3):e0282207. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282207. eCollection 2023.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Parenting
Active, not recruiting
Chicago Parent Program for Foster and Kinship Caregivers
Behavior Problem, Parenting
Active, not recruiting
Tailoring CPP for the Foster Care Setting
Behavior Problem
Recruiting
Online Feeding Education for Fathers of Children With Feeding Problems
Feeding Problems, Parent Training
Recruiting
Fathers and Babies (FAB) Research Study
Perinatal Mental Health, Fathers
Active, not recruiting
CHOICES3: Sickle Cell Disease Parenting CHOICES
Sickle Cell Disease, Sickle Cell Trait
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Rabia R. Chhangur, PhD principal investigator
Tilburg University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Immediate positive parenting feedback in people with Parenting and Child Behavior, run by Tilburg University at 1 site in Netherlands.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Netherlands. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Parental self-efficacy beliefs assessed with the General Scale of Parental Self-Efficacy Beliefs (GSPSEB) at pretest, posttest and follow-up (time frame: Parenting change: baseline (pretest), after 2 weeks (posttest), and after 4 weeks (follow-up)). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05539170, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Aug 2025.