Development of the Japanese Parenting Style Scale and examination of its validity and reliability

Parenting is an essential factor affecting child development. Therefore, several studies have focused on individual differences in parenting (i.e., parenting styles). However, there exist only a few useful scales in Japan, especially for parents who have preschool children. Therefore, a new scale for assessing parenting styles in Japan, based on the traditional theoretical framework, was developed, and examined for its validity and reliability. In Study 1, 82 original items were constructed and 1236 parents with preschool children completed these items. Next, 28 items for the Japanese Parenting Style Scale (JPSS) were selected based on factor analysis and the analyses of the graded response model. The JPSS included four factors: warmth, hostility, permissiveness, and harsh control. The results showed that each sub-scale had sufficient conceptual validity and internal consistency. In Study 2, the criterion-related validity of the JPSS was examined. A total of 1236 parents, non-participants in Study 1, completed the JPSS and other scales. The results showed sufficient criterion-related validity for the scale.