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Parenting Scale: Which Version Should We Use?

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Abstract

Factor analytic studies of one of the widely used measurements of parental discipline, the Parenting Scale (PS), have yielded ambiguous results. The purpose of this study was to compare various forms of the PS in terms of factor structure and other psychometric properties. The sample consisted of 617 mothers and 430 fathers of 2 to 5-year-olds. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that shorter structural models provided a better fit compared to the original model; however, none led to an optimal fit. Other psychometric properties such as internal consistency, test-retest reliability, concurrent and predictive validity were slightly higher for the original Laxness and Overreactivity subscales. The findings from this study and previous studies suggest that the inter-item relationship in the scale might be too sensitive to sample characteristics, implying that factor analysis might not be the best way to measure the scale’s validity. Nevertheless, other psychometric properties support the use of the Parenting Scale in the assessment of dysfunctional parenting practices. We recommend using the original Laxness and Overreactivity subscales rather than the later models, especially for research purposes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Samariterhemmets Hospital, Box 609, 751 25, Uppsala, Sweden

    Raziye Salari

  2. Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Cathrine Terreros & Anna Sarkadi

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  1. Raziye Salari
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  2. Cathrine Terreros
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  3. Anna Sarkadi
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Correspondence to Raziye Salari.

Additional information

This research was supported by grant HFÅ 2008/214 from the National Institute of Public Health in Sweden. Constructive comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript were provided by participants in one of the regular seminars in the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University. We thank Emily Noble and Jeanette Åberg for their assistance with data collection.

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Table 8 Items on the Parenting Scale
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Salari, R., Terreros, C. & Sarkadi, A. Parenting Scale: Which Version Should We Use?. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 34, 268–281 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-012-9281-x

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