Multidimensional Parenting Perfectionism Questionnaire (MPPQ)

Measures multiple dimensions of perfectionism specifically applied to the parenting role.

65 Questions

~16 min

Custom

Scale Development & Technical Details

Scale Overview

The Multidimensional Parenting Perfectionism Questionnaire (MPPQ) was developed by William E. Snell Jr. & G. Overbey (1997). It is designed to measure Parenting Perfectionism. The scale is intended for use with Parents.

Scale Structure

This instrument consists of 65 items organized into 11 factors/subscales: Self-oriented parenting perfectionism, Societal prescribed parenting perfectionism, Partner’s self-oriented parenting perfectionism, Partner prescribed parenting perfectionism, Partner expected standards for parenting, Concern over parenting mistakes, Doubts about parenting activity, Personal parenting standards, Partner’s parenting expectations, Partner’s parenting criticism, Parental organization.

Factor / Subscale	Items	N
Self-oriented parenting perfectionism	1,6,11,16,21,26	6
Societal prescribed parenting perfectionism	2,7,12,17,22,27	6
Partner's self-oriented parenting perfectionism	3,8,13,18,23,28	6
Partner prescribed parenting perfectionism	4,9,14,19,24,29	6
Partner expected standards for parenting	5,10,15,20,25,30	6
Concern over parenting mistakes	39,40,43,44,48,51,53,55,64	9
Doubts about parenting activity	47,58,62,63	4
Personal parenting standards	34,36,42,46,49,54,60	7
Partner's parenting expectations	31,41,45,50,56	5
Partner's parenting criticism	33,35,52,65	4
Parental organization	32,37,38,57,59,61	6

Response Format

Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.

Response anchors: 0 = Not at all characteristic of me, 1 = Slightly characteristic of me, 2 = Somewhat characteristic of me, 3 = Moderately characteristic of me, 4 = Very characteristic of me.

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 Not specified.

Administration

The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.

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About You

Please provide the following information before starting the assessment. This data is used for research purposes only and will remain confidential.

Gender *

Age *

Education Level

Country / Nationality

Instructions

Please read each statement carefully and indicate how characteristic it is of you as a parent using the scale provided.

0 Not at all characteristic of me

1 Slightly characteristic of me

2 Somewhat characteristic of me

3 Moderately characteristic of me

4 Very characteristic of me

1

I set very high standards for myself as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

2

Only if I am 'perfect' as a parent will society consider me to be a good parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

3

My partner sets very high standards of excellence for herself/himself as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

4

My partner expects me to be a perfect parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

5

I expect my partner to always be a top-notch and competent parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

6

I must always be successful as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

7

Most people in society expect me to always be a perfect parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

8

My partner is perfectionistic in that she/he expects to be a perfect parent all the time.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

9

My partner demands nothing less than perfection of me as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

10

My partner should never let me down when it comes to being a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

11

One of my goals is to be a 'perfect' parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

12

Most people expect me to always be an excellent parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

13

It makes my partner uneasy for him/her to be less than a perfect parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

14

My partner always wants me to be a perfect parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

15

I cannot stand for my partner to be less than a competent parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

16

I always feel the need to be a 'perfect' parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

17

I have to be a perfect parent in order for most people to regard me as okay.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

18

My partner sets very high, perfectionistic goals for herself (himself) as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

19

My partner pressures me to be a perfect parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

20

I expect nothing less than 'parental perfectionism' from my partner.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

21

I always pressure myself to be the best parent in the world.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

22

In order for people to accept me, I have to be the greatest parent in the world.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

23

My partner is always trying to be totally perfect as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

24

My partner has very high perfectionistic goals for me as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

25

I will appreciate my partner, but only if she/he is a perfect parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

26

I have very high perfectionistic goals for myself as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

27

Most people expect me to be perfectionistic when it comes to being a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

28

My partner always feels that she/he has to be the best possible parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

29

In order for my partner to appreciate me, I have to be a perfect parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

30

I expect my partner to try to be perfectionistic when it comes to parenting behavior.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

31

My spouse/partner sets very high parenting standards for me.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

32

Being organized as a parent is very important to me.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

33

My spouse/partner has criticized me for being less than a perfect parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

34

If I do not set the highest standards for myself, I am likely to end up a second rate parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

35

My spouse/partner never tries to understand my mistakes/shortcomings as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

36

It is important to me that I am thoroughly competent in everything I do as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

37

I am rather neat (i.e., not messy) as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

38

I try to take an organized approach to being a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

39

If I fail to rear my children well, I would be a total failure as a person.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

40

I should be upset if I make a mistake in rearing my children.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

41

My spouse/partner wants me to be the best possible parent in the entire world.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

42

I set higher goals for myself as a parent than do most people.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

43

If someone were a better parent than I, then I would feel like a complete failure as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

44

If I fail in even a small way to be a totally good parent, it is as bad as being completely inadequate.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

45

Only when I am an 'outstanding' parent is it good enough for my spouse/partner.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

46

I am very good at focusing my efforts and time at being a good parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

47

Even when I am very careful as a parent, I often feel that I failed to do something quite right.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

48

I hate being less than the best possible parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

49

I have extremely high goals for myself as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

50

My spouse/partner expects 'parenting excellence' from me.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

51

My spouse/partner would probably think less of me if I made a mistake in parenting.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

52

I never feel like I can meet my spouse/partner's expectations for me as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

53

If I am not as good a parent as other people, it means I am an inferior parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

54

Other people seem to accept less from themselves as a parent than I do for myself.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

55

If I do not constantly attend to our children, my spouse/partner will not respect me as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

56

My spouse/partner has always had higher expectations for me as a parent than I have.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

57

I try to be an organized and neat parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

58

I usually have doubts about even the simple things I do and say as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

59

As a parent, orderliness (and neatness) is very important to me.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

60

I expect more of myself as a parent than most people.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

61

I take an organized approach to being a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

62

I tend to have problems as a parent, because I keep doing things the same old way.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

63

It takes me a long time to do something 'right' as a parent.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

64

The fewer mistakes I make as a parent, the more my spouse/partner will like me.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

65

I never feel like I can meet my spouse/partner's standards for good parenting behavior.

Not at all characteristic of me Slightly characteristic of me Somewhat characteristic of me Moderately characteristic of me Very characteristic of me

Answer all questions to submit