The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new instrument, the Blank Infant Tenderness Scale (BITS), designed to measure mother´s perceptions of infant tendernese needs.
These infant needs include physiological requirements, suck as nourishment and adequate ´body temperature, and contact requirements, such as physical closeness and manipulation.
Guided by Sullivan´s theorem of tenderness, a 36-item instrument was constructed.
To assess realiability and validity of the BITS used to factor analysis, known groups techniques, Cronbach´s Alpha coefficient, Spearman-Brown Split-half coeffcient, Guttman Split-half coefficient.
The results of the study are as follows:
1. factor analysis was performed first, using prinicipal factoring with interaction (PA 2) followed by orthogonal (Varimax) rotation.
Using these procedures, two factors were retained: Factor Ⅰ with 4 variable sets and Factor Ⅱ with 3 variable sets.
2. T-test indicated a statisti-fically significant difference in maternal perception based on parity.
3. The result demonstrated that there is food internal consistency for the total BITS and moderate to high internal consistency for the two retained factors.
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