Assessing Dimensions of Single Parenting:

Abstract

The role of the parent-child relationship has been shown to be a major determinant of children's post-divorce adjustment. This study reflects an effort to develop and validate an instrument which assesses five dimensions of single parenting. Problem solving skills, parental warmth, discipline procedures, parent rules, enthusiasm for parenting and parent support systems were chosen as factors to be assessed in the Single Parenting Questionnaire because of their demonstrated relationship with child adjustment. Items were purposefully worded to assess these dimensions. Reliability coefficients and scale inter-correlations were calculated based on the responses of two hundred thirty-nine divorced and custodial parents to insure maximum between-scale heterogeneity and maximum within-scale homogeneity. Alpha coefficients ranging from .59 to .85 for the five scales the composite Total scale were demonstrated. Test-retest and inter-rater reliability coefficients ranging from .54 to .71 and .00 to .59 and with mea...