Parenting Sense of Competence Scale – PSOC
Measures parents' self-perceived competence, satisfaction, and efficacy in their parenting role.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale – PSOC was developed by Gibaud-Wallston, J., & Wandersman, L. P. (1978). It is designed to measure Parenting Sense of Competence. The scale is intended for use with Parents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 17 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Efficacy, Satisfaction.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Efficacy | 1,6,7,10,11,13,15 | 7 |
| Satisfaction | 2,3,4,5,8,9,12,14,16,17 | 10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Somewhat Disagree, 3 = Disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Somewhat Agree, 6 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 9 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 17 to 102. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Parenting Competence: 17 – 45
- Moderate Parenting Competence: 46 – 73
- High Parenting Competence: 74 – 102
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Satisfaction alpha = 0.75, Efficacy alpha = 0.76.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.