Assessment of Perceived Parental Psychological Control in Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

Abstract

Objective: There is no validated self-report measure of parental psychological control in the Chinese culture. The reliability and validity of the Chinese Paternal Psychological Control Scale (CPPCS) and Chinese Maternal Psychological Control Scale (CMPCS) were examined. Method: A total of 3,017 Chinese secondary school students responded to the CPPCS and CMPCS and measures of psychological well-being, parent-child relational qualities, parental knowledge, parental monitoring, and perceived parental endorsement of traditional Chinese parenting beliefs. Results: The CPPCS and CMPCS were internally consistent in different samples. Evidence supporting the convergent validity (negative relationships between the CPPCS and CMPCS with psychological well-being, parent-child relational qualities, and parental knowledge but positive relationship with perceived parental endorsement of traditional Chinese parental beliefs) and discriminant validity (weak relationship between psychological control measures and parental monitoring) of these two measures was found. Conclusions: The present study suggests that the CPPCS and CMPCS possess sound psychometric properties that can objectively assess perceived parental psychological control in Chinese adolescents.