Parental Authority Questionnaire – PAQ

While I was growing up my mother felt that in a well-run home the children should have their way in the family as often as the parents do.

Even if her children didn't agree with her, my mother felt that it was for our own good if we were forced to conform to what she thought was right.

Whenever my mother told me to do something as I was growing up, she expected me to do it immediately without asking any questions.

As I was growing up, once family policy had been established, my mother discussed the reasoning behind the policy with the children in the family.

My mother has always encouraged verbal give-and-take whenever I have felt that family rules and restrictions were unreasonable.

My mother has always felt that what children need is to be free to make up their own minds and to do what they want to do, even if this does not agree with what their parents might want.

As I was growing up my mother did not allow me to question any decision she had made.

As I was growing up my mother directed the activities and decisions of the children in the family through reasoning and discipline.

My mother has always felt that more force should be used by parents in order to get their children to behave the way they are supposed to.

As I was growing up my mother did not feel that I needed to obey rules and regulations of behavior simply because someone in authority had established them.

As I was growing up I knew what my mother expected of me in my family, but I also felt free to discuss those expectations with my mother when I felt that they were unreasonable.

My mother felt that wise parents should teach their children early just who is boss in the family.

As I was growing up, my mother seldom gave me expectations and guidelines for my behavior.

Most of the time as I was growing up my mother did what the children in the family wanted when making family decisions.

As the children in my family were growing up, my mother consistently gave us direction and guidance in rational and objective ways.

As I was growing up my mother would get very upset if I tried to disagree with her.

My mother feels that most problems in society would be solved if parents would not restrict their children's activities, decisions, and desires as they are growing up.

As I was growing up my mother let me know what behavior she expected of me, and if I didn't meet those expectations, she punished me.

As I was growing up my mother allowed me to decide most things for myself without a lot of direction from her.

As I was growing up my mother took the children's opinions into consideration when making family decisions, but she would not decide for something simply because the children wanted it.

My mother did not view herself as responsible for directing and guiding my behavior as I was growing up.

My mother had clear standards of behavior for the children in our home as I was growing up, but she was willing to adjust those standards to the needs of each of the individual children in the family.

My mother gave me direction for my behavior and activities as I was growing up and she expected me to follow her direction, but she was always willing to listen to my concerns and to discuss that direction with me.

As I was growing up my mother allowed me to form my own point of view on family matters and she generally allowed me to decide for myself what I was going to do.

My mother has always felt that most problems in society would be solved if we could get parents to strictly and forcibly deal with their children when they don't do what they are supposed to as they are growing up.

As I was growing up my mother often told me exactly what she wanted me to do and how she expected me to do it.

As I was growing up my mother gave me clear direction for my behaviors and activities, but she was also understanding when I disagreed with her.

As I was growing up my mother did not direct the behaviors, activities, and desires of the children in the family.

As I was growing up I knew what my mother expected of me in the family and she insisted that I conform to those expectations simply out of respect for her authority.

As I was growing up, if my mother made a decision in the family that hurt me, she was willing to discuss that decision with me and to admit it if she had made a mistake.

While I was growing up my father felt that in a well-run home the children should have their way in the family as often as the parents do.

Even if his children didn't agree with him, my father felt that it was for our own good if we were forced to conform to what he thought was right.

Whenever my father told me to do something as I was growing up, he expected me to do it immediately without asking any questions.

As I was growing up, once family policy had been established, my father discussed the reasoning behind the policy with the children in the family.

My father has always encouraged verbal give-and-take whenever I have felt that family rules and restrictions were unreasonable.

My father has always felt that what children need is to be free to make up their own minds and to do what they want to do, even if this does not agree with what their parents might want.

As I was growing up my father did not allow me to question any decision he had made.

As I was growing up my father directed the activities and decisions of the children in the family through reasoning and discipline.

My father has always felt that more force should be used by parents in order to get their children to behave the way they are supposed to.

As I was growing up my father did not feel that I needed to obey rules and regulations of behavior simply because someone in authority had established them.

As I was growing up I knew what my father expected of me in my family, but I also felt free to discuss those expectations with my father when I felt that they were unreasonable.

My father felt that wise parents should teach their children early just who is boss in the family.

As I was growing up, my father seldom gave me expectations and guidelines for my behavior.

Most of the time as I was growing up my father did what the children in the family wanted when making family decisions.

As the children in my family were growing up, my father consistently gave us direction and guidance in rational and objective ways.

As I was growing up my father would get very upset if I tried to disagree with him.

My father feels that most problems in society would be solved if parents would not restrict their children's activities, decisions, and desires as they are growing up.

As I was growing up my father let me know what behavior she expected of me, and if I didn't meet those expectations, he punished me.

As I was growing up my father allowed me to decide most things for myself without a lot of direction from him.

As I was growing up my father took the children's opinions into consideration when making family decisions, but he would not decide for something simply because the children wanted it.

My father did not view himself as responsible for directing and guiding my behavior as I was growing up.

My father had clear standards of behavior for the children in our home as I was growing up, but he was willing to adjust those standards to the needs of each of the individual children in the family.

My father gave me direction for my behavior and activities as I was growing up and he expected me to follow his direction, but he was always willing to listen to my concerns and to discuss that direction with me.

As I was growing up my father allowed me to form my own point of view on family matters and he generally allowed me to decide for myself what I was going to do.

My father has always felt that most problems in society would be solved if we could get parents to strictly and forcibly deal with their children when they don't do what they are supposed to as they are growing up.

As I was growing up my father often told me exactly what he wanted me to do and how he expected me to do it.

As I was growing up my father gave me clear direction for my behaviors and activities, but he was also understanding when I disagreed with him.

As I was growing up my father did not direct the behaviors, activities, and desires of the children in the family.

As I was growing up I knew what my father expected of me in the family and he insisted that I conform to those expectations simply out of respect for his authority.

As I was growing up, if my father made a decision in the family that hurt me, he was willing to discuss that decision with me and to admit it if he had made a mistake.