Parent-Child Relationship Survey – PCRS
Measures the quality of the parent-child relationship from the perspective of the child, assessing dimensions such as positive affect, communication, and resentment.
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: Mother – Positive Affect, Mother – Resentment/Role Confusion, Mother – Identification, Mother – Communication, Father – Positive Affect, Father – Father Involvement, Father – Communication, Father – Anger.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Mother – Positive Affect | 1,2,3,6,7,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23 | 14 |
| Mother – Resentment/Role Confusion | 9,14 | 2 |
| Mother – Identification | 13,23,24 | 3 |
| Mother – Communication | 4,5,7,8,15,16,17 | 7 |
| Father – Positive Affect | 3,14,18,19,20,21,22,23,24 | 9 |
| Father – Father Involvement | 1,2,6,9,10,16 | 6 |
| Father – Communication | 7,8,15,16,17 | 5 |
| Father – Anger | 13 | 1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = 1 (Low / Negative anchor), 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7 (High / Positive anchor).
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 Alpha values range from .61 to .94 across subscales.
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.