Parentification Questionnaire for Junior High School Students – Chinese Version

Description

The concept of “parentification” was originally proposed by Broszormenyi-Nagy and Spark in 1973. It refers to the phenomenon where children, during their growth, take on responsibilities and roles typically expected of parents, responsibilities that often exceed their developmental stage. The researchers noted that such behaviors emerge from the interactions children have with their own parents during childhood, fostering expectations that children should take on their parents’ responsibilities. The appropriateness of parentification is assessed based on the presence of a supportive environment and the fulfillment of needs; unmet needs or excessive parentification can lead to negative consequences, whereas proper interactions contribute to healthy parent-child dynamics.

Authors and Contact Email

Information not available.

Purpose

The purpose of studying parentification is to examine its implications on children’s development and how it affects their interactions within the family system, particularly in disadvantaged situations.

Test Year

2021

Administration Method and Scoring

The “Parentification Questionnaire for Junior High School Students,” developed by Xu Ling, features 19 items structured to assess three dimensions: “承担家人情绪” (Taking on Family Emotions), “照顾年幼者” (Caring for Younger Family Members), and “照顾家庭” (Caring for Family). The scoring system is a Likert scale from 1 to 5, with total scores ranging from 19 to 95.

Reliability and Validity

The Cronbach’s α coefficients for the dimensions are:
– “承担家人情绪” (Taking on Family Emotions): 0.886
– “照顾年幼者” (Caring for Younger Family Members): 0.875
– “照顾家庭” (Caring for Family): 0.834
– Overall: 0.925

Factors and Subscales

The questionnaire is divided into three dimensions:
– “承担家人情绪” (Taking on Family Emotions)
– “照顾年幼者” (Caring for Younger Family Members)
– “照顾家庭” (Caring for Family)

Keywords

Parentification, Child Responsibilities, Family Dynamics, Junior High School Students

Items in Chinese

1. 当有家人不开心时，我会去安慰他（她）。
2. 当有家人生病或醉酒时，我会去照顾他（她）。
3. 我不在家时，我会担心家中的年幼者是否有人照顾。
4. 照顾家庭是我应该做的事。
5. 当有家人难过时，我会去鼓励他（她）。
6. 因为我是家庭的一员，我愿意承担家中的事情。
7. 当有家人生气时，我会去关心他（她）。
8. 我不在家时，我会担心家中的年幼者过得好不好。
9. 我会与家中的年幼者一起玩耍。
10. 当家中有争吵时，我会想办法让他们停下来（如分散注意力、劝说等）。
11. 当家中的年幼者出现意外（如烫伤、摔倒、受伤等）时，我会自责。
12. 当家人需要帮助时，我会伸出援手。
13. 在照顾家中的幼者时，我觉得自己像个大人。
14. 当有家人心情不好时，我会想办法让他（她）好起来（如捶背、倒水等）。
15. 我会尽量让长辈少操心，多体谅他们。
16. 当家中的年幼者哭闹或伤心时，我会去哄他（她）。
17. 当家中有人发脾气时，我会表现的更听话。
18. 我会认真尽责的照顾家中的年幼者。
19. 帮家人做事让我感受到我是家中一员。

Items in English

1. When a family member is unhappy, I will comfort him/her.
2. When a family member is sick or drunk, I will take care of him/her.
3. When I’m not at home, I worry if the younger family members are being cared for.
4. Taking care of the family is something I should do.
5. When a family member is sad, I will encourage him/her.
6. Because I am a part of the family, I am willing to take on household matters.
7. When a family member is angry, I will show concern for him/her.
8. When I’m not at home, I worry about how the younger members of the family are doing.
9. I will play with the younger family members.
10. When there are arguments at home, I try to make them stop (e.g., distract them, persuade them, etc.).
11. When a younger family member has an accident (e.g., burns, falls, injuries), I feel guilty.
12. When family members need help, I will lend a hand.
13. When taking care of the younger family members, I feel like an adult.
14. When a family member feels down, I will try to make him/her feel better (e.g., massage the back, pour water, etc.).
15. I try to let the elders worry less and show more understanding to them.
16. When younger family members cry or are sad, I will comfort them.
17. When someone in the family is angry, I will behave more obediently.
18. I will take care of the younger family members seriously and responsibly.
19. Helping family members with tasks makes me feel like a member of the family.

References

许玲.初中生亲职化与人际交往能力,自尊和领悟社会支持的关系研究[D].云南师范大学,2021.