Parenting Outcome Expectancy Scale – POES
Measures a parent's expectations about the outcomes associated with talking with their adolescent about sex-related topics.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Parenting Outcome Expectancy Scale – POES was developed by Colleen DiIorio (2001). It is designed to measure Parenting Outcome Expectancy. The scale is intended for use with Parents of children and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 23 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Cognitive Self-Evaluative, Emotional Self-Evaluative, Social.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Self-Evaluative | 2,3,10,18 | 4 |
| Emotional Self-Evaluative | 1,4,5,7,9,12,14,15 | 8 |
| Social | 6,8,11,13,16,17,19,20,21,22,23 | 11 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 23 to 115. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Outcome Expectancy: 23 – 53
- Moderate Outcome Expectancy: 54 – 84
- High Outcome Expectancy: 85 – 115
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of α = .83.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 7 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.