Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Parental Bonding Instrument

The Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) is a widely used assessment tool for measuring parental characteristics that affect parent-child bonds. The measure was developed for and has been most administered in Western populations. Psychometric analyses have yielded discrepant results as to whether the PBI is best represented by a two-factor model (care and overprotection) or a three-factor model (care, overprotection, and autonomy).

Little is known about how the PBI performs in Chinese samples, and there is limited data from Eastern populations as a whole. The purpose of this study is to: (1) explore the data and identify the underlying structural model that best fits the Chinese culture, and (2) to further compare the factor structure that emerges in a Chinese sample with that which has emerged in other Eastern cultures (i.e., Japanese) and Western countries.

The present study investigated the psychometric properties of a Chinese translation of the PBI among a sample (N=1417) of mothers of kindergarten children. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the most adequate model.

Results supported a four-factor model that included an indifference factor (χ(2)/df<3.0; RMSEA<0.06; SRMR<0.08). Both the two-factor and three-factor models performed poorly (χ(2)/df>5.0; RMSEA>0.08; SRMR>1.0; CFI<0.90 for both). In this sample, use of a Chinese translated version of the PBI was successful. Support for the four-factor model is consistent with findings from previous studies of Eastern populations and discrepant from those among Western samples.

The indifference factor may reflect aspects of parenting specific to Eastern cultures, which tend to value group cohesion over individualization and independence. More research is needed to determine whether these findings are generalizable to all Eastern countries and whether aspects of Chinese culture (e.g., the single-child law) produce unique effects that may impact PBI administration in China.