Project team members:

• Assoc. Prof. Miranda Novak, PhD
• Assoc. Prof. Ana Leko, PhD
• Prof. Martina Ferić, PhD
• Martina Horvat, mag. soc. ped.

Associates:

• Ilijana Kraguljac Pavković, dr. med.
• Martina Šmuc,  univ. mag. act. soc.

The project aims to gain a deeper understanding of parent–adolescent interactions in the context of behavioural and communication difficulties, whose significance becomes particularly evident during adolescence, when family dynamics can strongly influence the development or mitigation of such difficulties. The objective is to develop an integrated methodological framework for assessing these interactions, as well as a scientifically grounded intervention to foster positive interactions, enhanced with simulations in a virtual environment. In Croatia, validated observational and simulation-based methods for assessing these interactions are lacking; therefore, the project focuses on the gradual development and validation of three complementary methodological approaches: a psychometric approach (self-assessment of emotional dynamics), an observational approach (structured interaction coding), and an experimental–simulation approach (standardised VR scenarios). Based on the integrated data, a scientifically grounded intervention will be developed using VR technology to train parenting skills. The methodology will be developed incrementally, with each subsequent wave of data collection enriching the assessment of interactions. The psychometric approach will include a sample of 90 parent–adolescent dyads, the observational approach 60 dyads, and the experimental–simulation approach 30 dyads. The psychometric approach will include a sample of 90 parent–adolescent dyads, the observational approach 60 dyads, and the experimental–simulation approach 30 dyads. The data will be integrated to provide a multi-level understanding and enable the development of effective interventions. The scientific contribution includes the development and validation of new methodological approaches for assessing parent–adolescent interactions and the integration of data through an innovative research design. The professional contribution is reflected in the creation of a scientifically grounded intervention with a VR component. The project contributes to institutional development by strengthening digital research infrastructure, creating tools for research, teaching, and clinical practice, promoting open science, educating doctoral students and faculty, and enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration, including cooperation with the EdTech sector.

The IMPRINT project represents a significant methodological advance in the study of parent–adolescent interactions in the context of behavioural problems and communication difficulties. By developing and validating an integrated methodological framework that combines psychometric, observational, and experimental-simulation approaches, the project introduces, for the first time in Croatia, structured interaction coding and virtual reality (VR) into the systematic study of parent–adolescent interactions in conflict situations. This moves beyond approaches based solely on self-report and enables a multi-level, more precise understanding of emotional and communication processes within interactions.

The project’s professional contribution is the development of an evidence-based intervention designed to foster positive parent–adolescent interactions, enhanced with VR simulations. The tools developed will allow parents to practise responses to challenging behaviours in a safe and controlled environment, while providing professionals with new empirically grounded intervention resources.

At the institutional level, the project strengthens digital research infrastructure, supports the development of an interdisciplinary research group, and contributes to the education of doctoral candidates and students through their involvement in all phases of the research process. The introduction of VR technology and the development of digital databases enhance capacities for open science, knowledge transfer, and the future application of innovative methods in teaching, research, and clinical practice.