Parent-Child Relationship Survey – PCRS
Measures the quality of the relationship between an individual and their parent (mother or father) across multiple dimensions including affect, communication, and identification.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Parent-Child Relationship Survey – PCRS was developed by Mark A. Fine, J. R. Moreland, A. I. Schwebel (1983). It is designed to measure Parent-child relationship quality. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 24 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Positive Affect (Mother Version), Resentment/Role Confusion (Mother Version), Identification (Mother Version), Communication (Mother Version), Positive Affect (Father Version), Father Involvement (Father Version), Communication (Father Version), Anger (Father Version).
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Affect (Mother Version) | 1,2,3,6,7,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23 | 14 |
| Resentment/Role Confusion (Mother Version) | 9,14 | 2 |
| Identification (Mother Version) | 13,23,24 | 3 |
| Communication (Mother Version) | 4,5,7,8,15,16,17 | 7 |
| Positive Affect (Father Version) | 3,14,18,19,20,21,22,23,24 | 9 |
| Father Involvement (Father Version) | 1,2,6,9,10,16 | 6 |
| Communication (Father Version) | 7,8,15,16,17 | 5 |
| Anger (Father Version) | 13 | 1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = 1 (Low / Not at all / Almost never), 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7 (High / Extremely / A great deal).
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 24 to 168. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low relationship quality: 24 – 72
- Moderate relationship quality: 73 – 120
- High relationship quality: 121 – 168
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Positive Affect subscale alpha: .93-.94; Communication subscale alpha: .88-.89; Identification subscale alpha: .84; Resentment/Role Confusion subscale alpha: .61.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.