Development and initial validation of the Parent-Child War-Dialogue Scale (PACWAD)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Child Development
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Parent-child communication is crucial during wartime.
• Understanding dialogue styles can inform interventions for children's adjustment.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce and validate the Parent-Child War-Dialogue Scale.
• Assess parents' dialogue style, content, and frequency during ongoing war.

Main Methods:

• Systematic mixed methods approach for scale development.
• Iterative process including literature review, expert review, and qualitative analysis.
• Psychometric evaluation with 372 Israeli caregivers of children aged 6-12 years.

Main Results:

• A three-factor model of war-related dialogue styles was supported: modulated disclosure, silencing, and unfiltered speech.
• The scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including internal consistency and convergent validity.
• Dialogue styles correlated with content and parental perceived stress.

Conclusions:

• The Parent-Child War-Dialogue Scale is a feasible and comprehensive measure.
• It enhances understanding of parent-child conversations about war.
• Supports research on the impact of wartime dialogue on children's adjustment.