Dual Filial Piety Scale – Chinese Version

Description

The concept of filial piety is deeply rooted in Confucian classics such as the “Classic of Filial Piety,” which emphasizes values such as respecting parents, honoring elders, preserving family traditions, and maintaining family order. In Chinese society, these values translate into a high level of respect for elders by younger generations. Leichtentritt et al. (2004) believe that filial piety is viewed as the responsibility of adult children to care for their aging parents. This responsibility encompasses not only providing everyday care but also respecting, honoring, and adhering to parents’ wishes. Fulfilling filial duties implies maintaining family harmony, expressing love for parents, taking responsibility for their well-being, reducing their burdens, repaying them for their upbringing, and even maintaining closeness or living together.

Authors and Contact Email

傅绪荣 (Fu Xurong), 李启明 (Li Qiming), 叶光辉 (Ye Guanghui), Bedford, and Yeh.
Email Contact: Information not available.

Purpose

The study aims to explore the evolving concept of filial piety in the context of social transformation, moving from traditional hierarchical views to a dual filial piety model that recognizes both reciprocal and authoritative dimensions of filial relationships.

Test Year

The initial research was conducted in 2003 by Yeh and Bedford, with further studies and validations occurring in various years, including 2004 and 2016.

Administration Method and Scoring

The Dual Filial Piety Scale (DFPS) consists of two dimensions, 互惠性孝道 (Reciprocal Filial Piety, RFP) and 权威性孝道 (Authoritative Filial Piety, AFP). Each dimension typically contains multiple items rated on a Likert scale, assessing agreement levels from “完全不同意” (Strongly Disagree) to “完全认同” (Strongly Agree) or similar scales.

Reliability and Validity

In initial testing, the Cronbach’s α values for the dimensions were reported as follows: for 互惠性孝道 (RFP) 0.839, 权威性孝道 (AFP) 0.801, and total scale 0.812. Subsequent revisions maintained similar reliability metrics, with current versions providing reliable measures across different populations.

Factors and Subscales

The scale is divided into two main dimensions:
1. 互惠性孝道 (Reciprocal Filial Piety, RFP)
2. 权威性孝道 (Authoritative Filial Piety, AFP)

Keywords

Filial Piety, Chinese Culture, Parental Responsibility, Social Transformation, Psychological Well-being, Dual Filial Piety Model

Items in Chinese

1. 多留心父母亲的身体健康。
2. 当自己与父母亲意见不合时，要顺从父母亲的意见。
3. 多与父母亲交谈，以了解他们的想法和感受。
4. 结婚前，要将所赚的钱全部交给父母亲处理。
5. 多留心父母亲的生活起居。
6. 为了顺从父母亲，可以不守对朋友的诺言。
7. 常关怀父母亲，了解父母亲。
8. 放弃个人的志向，达成父母亲的心愿。
9. 奉养父母亲使他们的生活更为舒适。
10. 无论父母亲交代什么事，都立刻去做。
11. 对父母亲的养育之恩心存感激。
12. 避免和父母亲不喜欢的异性结婚。
13. 父母亲去世，不管住得多远，都要亲自奔丧。
14. 为了传宗接代，至少生一个儿子。
15. 父母亲忙碌时，主动帮助他们。
16. 结婚后和父母（公婆）住在一起。

Items in English

1. Pay more attention to my parents’ health.
2. When my opinions differ from my parents’, I should obey their opinions.
3. Talk more with my parents to understand their thoughts and feelings.
4. Before marriage, I will hand over all my earnings to my parents.
5. Pay more attention to my parents’ daily life.
6. To obey my parents, I may not keep promises to friends.
7. Regularly care for my parents to understand them.
8. Give up my personal ambitions to fulfill my parents’ wishes.
9. Support my parents to make their lives more comfortable.
10. No matter what my parents ask me to do, I will do it immediately.
11. Be grateful for my parents’ upbringing.
12. Avoid marrying someone my parents dislike.
13. If my parents pass away, I should attend their funeral, regardless of distance.
14. To continue the family line, I should have at least one son.
15. Assist my parents when they are busy.
16. After getting married, live with my parents (or in-laws).

References

Leichtentritt et al. (2004), 傅绪荣 et al. (2016), Bedford and Yeh (2019), Yeh and Bedford (2003), 李启明 et al. (2016).