Table of Contents
Background:
Poor quality parenting has been linked to a number of adverse behavioral outcomes. Many interventions which aim to alleviate these outcomes focus on improving key aspects the the parents’ behavioral practices. Therefore, there is a need for tools which can quickly, easily and accurately measure parental styles. The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire- Short Form (APQ-SF) does this by measuring aspects of positive parenting, inconsistent discipline and poor supervision.
Psychometrics:
The psychometric properties of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire- Short Form (APQ-SF) are outlined in Elgar, Waschbusch, Dadds, & Sigvaldason (2007).
Author of Tool:
Elgar, F. J., Waschbusch, D. A., Dadds, M. R., & Sigvaldason, N.
Key references:
Elgar, F. J., Waschbusch, D. A., Dadds, M. R., & Sigvaldason, N. (2007). Development and Validation of a Short Form of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 16(2), 243-259. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-006-9082-5
Hawes, D. J., Dadds, M. R., Frost, A. D. J., & Hasking, P. A. (2011). Do Childhood Callous-Unemotional Traits Drive Change in Parenting Practices? Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 40(4), 507-518.
Primary use / Purpose:
The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire- Short Form (APQ-SF) is a 9-item measure of parenting style. Its items are based around the three main structures of the parent (APQ) scale: positive parenting, inconsistent discipline and poor supervision. The APQ-SF can be used by anyone wishing to measure parental practices in regard to disruptive behaviour.
The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ-SF)
Instructions: The following are a number of statements about your family. Please rate each item as to how often it typically occurs in your home. Possible answers are: Never (1), Almost Never (2), Sometimes (3), Often (4), Always (5). Please answer all items
- 1. You let your child know when he/she is doing a good job with something
- 2. You threaten to punish your child and then do not actually punish him/her
- 3. Your child fails to leave a note or to let you where he/she is going
- 4. Your child talks you out of being punished after he/she has done something wrong
- 5. Your child stays out in the evening after the time he/she is supposed to be home
- 6. You compliment your child after he/she has done something well
- 7. You praise your child if he/she behaves well
- 8. Your child is out with friends you don’t know
- 9. You let your child out of a punishment early (like lift restrictions earlier than you originally said)