Index of Parental Attitudes – IPA
Measures the magnitude of parent-child relationship problems as perceived by the parent.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Index of Parental Attitudes – IPA was developed by Walter W. Hudson, B. Wung, & M. Borges (1980). It is designed to measure Parent-child relationship quality. The scale is intended for use with Parents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 25 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = None of the time, 2 = Very rarely, 3 = A little of the time, 4 = Some of the time, 5 = A good part of the time, 6 = Most of the time, 7 = All of the time.
The scale includes 10 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 25 to 175. Interpretation guidelines:
- Non-clinical range (Minimal to no significant relationship problems): 25 – 69
- Clinical range (Significant relationship problems present): 70 – 175
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of >.90.
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.