Adult interviews used to gather screening/assessment information about infants and young children: Which statement is true?

• A. They are longer than self-reporting measures
• B. They are shorter than self-reporting measures
• C. They are not used in practice
• D. They are brief but usually longer than self-reporting measures

Answer: (D)

When professionals screen and assess infants and young children, they rely on interviews with parents or caregivers to get information efficiently yet with depth. These interviews are designed to be concise to fit into a clinic visit, but because they involve real-time questions, probing, and clarification across multiple domains (development, behavior, history, environment), they typically take more time than a self-administered questionnaire. So the true statement is that adult interviews are brief but usually longer than self-reporting measures: brief in the sense of being time-efficient, yet longer than the time it takes for caregivers to complete a self-report form.