Development and cross-national validation of a revised version of the Berkeley Parenting Self-efficacy Scale

Abstract

Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) pertains to parents’ judgments about their ability to complete important parenting tasks in a successful manner. Numerous studies have shown that parents with high PSE are more likely than those with low PSE to engage in positive parenting behaviors that in turn promote children’s development. However, previous measures assessing PSE with respect to specific tasks and activities have rarely been validated, particularly in cross-national contexts. To address these gaps, a revised version of the Berkeley Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale was developed to provide a psychometrically sound measure for assessing PSE among parents of young children. Confirmatory factor analysis conducted with data provided by 986 parents of children in preprimary and early primary school in the US and Japan indicated strong construct, metric, and scalar equivalence. The Berkeley Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale-Revised (BPSE-R) demonstrated good test–retest reliability and was significantly associated in both national samples with concurrent measures of parent well-being as well as self-reported parenting behavior. In Japan only, the BPSE-R was associated with teacher ratings of children’s school-related competence. These findings indicate that the BPSE-R is a reliable and valid measure of parenting self-efficacy for parents of young children in Japan and the United States.