Psychometric Properties of the Polish Version of the Parental Feelings Inventory

Abstract

Previous reports from international literature have emphasized the specific nature of the feelings experienced by parents related to their role, differentiating them from other emotional states. Researchers highlighted the role of parental emotions in parent–child interaction and child development. The aim of the present study was to create the Polish version of the Parental Feelings Inventory (PFI), which is a rating scale designed to determine parental emotions within the parenting role, and to assess its psychometric properties. The participants included 191 parents (102 mothers and 89 fathers) aged 22 to 55 years (M = 37.18, SD = 6.85), both parents of healthy children and those of children with chronic diseases or disabilities. All participants completed the translated PFI questionnaire, Parental Attitude Scale (SPR), SUPIN S20 and SUPIN C20. The results support a three-factor solution (Angry, Happy, and Anxious/Sad) and a structure of 22 items for the PFI. The internal consistency for the complete scale was α = 0.78 for mothers and α = 0.76 for fathers. Cronbach’s α coefficients for individual factors for the Polish version were good: all above 0.80. The Polish PFI correlated with measures of parental attitudes and positive/negative affect; in addition, the Polish version confirms the basic psychometric criteria of the original and yields the same results. Therefore, the Polish version of the PFI is a valid and reliable tool for measuring parental feelings and can be successfully used as a measure of emotional experiences in the parenting role.