Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale
Measures the extent of parent-adolescent communication regarding the health, social, and moral consequences of sexual behavior.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale was developed by Guilamo-Ramos, V., Jaccard, J., Dittus, P., & Bouris, A. M. (2006). It is designed to measure Parent-adolescent communication about sexual behavior. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 9 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Health risks associated with sexual behavior, Social consequences of engaging in sexual intercourse, Moral consequences of engaging in sexual intercourse.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Health risks associated with sexual behavior | 1,2,3 | 3 |
| Social consequences of engaging in sexual intercourse | 4,5,6 | 3 |
| Moral consequences of engaging in sexual intercourse | 7,8,9 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all, 2 = Somewhat, 3 = A moderate amount, 4 = A great deal.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 9 to 36. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low level of communication: 9 – 18
- Moderate level of communication: 19 – 27
- High level of communication: 28 – 36
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha: Health risks (0.88), Social consequences (0.85-0.86), Moral consequences (0.89).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.