Psychometric Evaluation of the Parental Monitoring Short Scale

Psychometric properties of a revised version of a previously developed parental monitoring measure were examined. Previously, Stattin and Kerr developed an expanded measure of parental monitoring that included sources of parental knowledge. Their scales were shortened and simplified for reading ability and brevity. Data were obtained from 41 schools surveyed during the 2018 and 2019 school years. The schools were part of an ongoing study (Our Youth, Our Future) of substance use among American Indian students who attend schools on or near reservations. Students who self-identify as American Indian (n = 3,673) or White (n = 903) completed online surveys that included nine items related to sources of parental knowledge (parental control, child disclosure/parental solicitation) and four items that measure parental knowledge. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, tests of measurement invariance, and correlations between latent means and correlations with substance use measures were used to assess the scale. Factor analysis results confirmed a three-factor solution. These three factors (parental knowledge, parental control, parental solicitation/child disclosure) exhibited measurement invariance across sex, grade level, and ethnicity. Factor scales were reliable and negatively related to substance use. This revised scale of parental monitoring provides a useful measure to assess this construct across subgroups of youths. Further work among other ethnic groups of youths will determine the scale's breadth of utility. The revised scale with improved readability will allow researchers to more quickly assess this important parent-child measure.