Abstract
The parent-child relationship is a cornerstone of early childhood development and one-way early childhood programs can have a positive influence on early development is to adopt programmatic features to enhance this relationship. Research supports these conclusions in both U.S. and cross-cultural contexts, even though assumptions about parenting and the parent-child relationship may differ across cultures. However, for true understanding of cultural differences, it is important to have comparable measures across cultures. The purpose of the study is to assess measurement invariance of the two constructs of the Child-parent Relationship Scale using data gathered in programs serving low-income preschool children in the U.S.(n = 4,450) and Turkey (n = 592) from 2014 to 2015. Using Single-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the original factor structures of the Turkish and the English versions were tested. Besides, Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided evidence for configural, metric, scalar invariance, strict factorial invariance or error variance invariance and construct level invariance across the two versions. Only configural invariance was established, which showed an agreement for the existence of an underlying theoretical construct for each subscale (Conflict and Closeness) of the Turkish and the English versions. However, item CPRS 4 was a non-significant item for Conflict in the Turkish version that affected the possibility to conduct further analyses. Findings encourage researchers to propose and assess cultural and linguistic adaptations for the Child-parent Relationship Scale before cross-cultural comparisons related to family relationships.
Highlights
At the core of early child development is the parent-child relationship
Item-total correlation (ITC) values were above .5 for the Turkish version for all the items, except Child-parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) 4 (My child is uncomfortable with physical affection or touch from me)
This study examined the factor structure of the English and Turkish versions of the CPRS-SF in a sample of preschoolers’ parents from Turkey and the U.S The two-factor solution showed good model fit for the English version in the sample of low-income, and educationally diverse families in the U.S The CFA findings for the U.S sample revealed high and statistically significant loading coefficients for all items, which is consistent with the validation study conducted by Driscoll and Pianta [5]
Summary
At the core of early child development is the parent-child relationship. This critical component of early experiences shapes child development and has long-term impacts throughout a person’s life span in several domains including mental health, language and cognitive skills, physical health, academic achievements, and social-emotional skills [1,2,3]. The study of cultural commonalities in parent-child relationships has a long history [12], only recently scholars have examined how parents’ cultural belief and perceptions systems explain the nature and quality of parenting and family interactions in particular social contexts [13, 14]. Given the implicit nature of parents’ perceptions about their parent-child relationships in a particular cultural context [15], cross-national research entails methodological and theoretical difficulties when assessing parents’ perceptions using quantifiable measures across and within cultures [4]. Using a translated version of the Child-parent Relationship Scale (CPRS), which was originally developed based on a Western sample, this study adds to the current discussion on the cultural relevance and reliability of measures used to examine parental perceptions about parent-child relationships across socio-cultural contexts.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
