Parent’s Report – Parenting Style Scale (PA)
Measures parenting style across dimensions of autonomy support, control, consistency, child-centeredness, and detachment.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Parent’s Report – Parenting Style Scale (PA) was developed by Eleanor Dibble & Donald J. Cohen (1974). It is designed to measure Parenting Style. The scale is intended for use with Parents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 23 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Respect for Autonomy, Control, Consistency, Child-Centeredness, Detachment.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Respect for Autonomy | 16,18,20 | 3 |
| Control | 2,3,4,9,11,23 | 6 |
| Consistency | 19,21,22 | 3 |
| Child-Centeredness | 1,5,8,12,15,17 | 6 |
| Detachment | 6,7,10,13,14 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Never, 1 = Almost never, 2 = Seldom, 3 = Half the time, 4 = Frequently, 5 = Almost always, 6 = Always.
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 8 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.