Alabama Parenting Questionnaire – Parent Version (APQ)
Measures parenting practices associated with disruptive behavior problems in children.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire – Parent Version (APQ) was developed by Shelton, K. K., Frick, P. J., & Wootton, J. (1996). It is designed to measure Parenting Practices. The scale is intended for use with Parents of children aged 6-13.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 42 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Involvement, Positive Parenting, Poor Monitoring/Supervision, Inconsistent Discipline, Corporal Punishment, Other Discipline Practices.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Involvement | 1,4,7,9,11,14,15,20,23,26 | 10 |
| Positive Parenting | 2,5,13,16,18,27 | 6 |
| Poor Monitoring/Supervision | 6,10,17,19,21,24,28,29,30,32 | 10 |
| Inconsistent Discipline | 3,8,12,22,25,31 | 6 |
| Corporal Punishment | 33,35,38 | 3 |
| Other Discipline Practices | 34,36,37,39,40,41,42 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Almost Never, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always.
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 Involvement: 0.80, Positive Parenting: 0.80, Poor Monitoring/Supervision: 0.67, Inconsistent Discipline: 0.67, Corporal Punishment: 0.46.
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.