Development of the Parent-Child Communication Quality Scale from the Perspective of Children's Psychological Needs

Parent-child communication plays a crucial role in children's healthy growth. Nevertheless, there is currently a paucity of instruments designed to measure the quality of parent-child communication from a psychological perspective. Accordingly, based on the self psychology theory, this study has developed the Parent-Child Communication Quality Scale (PCCQS) to assess the quality of parent-child communication in terms of the extent to which children's psychological needs are met. A total of 1095 urban children (50.9% girls, M = 9.92, SD = 1.15) aged 8 to 12 years in eastern China were surveyed in this study. The measurement structure of the PCCQS was examined using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results of the CFA supported the second-order, four-factor structure of the PCCQS, with the 15-item PCCQS consisting of four factors (i.e., mirroring, idealization, empathy, and appropriate response). In conclusion, the PCCQS has good construct and criterion validity, as well as high internal consistency and split-half reliability. The scale is therefore a valuable tool for assessing the quality of parent-child communication.