Development and Initial Validation of Perceived Moral Socialization Scale (PMSS)

Abstract

Although considerable research has underscored the role of parental socialization practices in the character building of youth, an adequate assessment tool to evaluate the youth’s perception of these practices is not available. This study reports the development and validation of the Perceived Moral Socialization Scale (PMSS). This multidimensional assessment tool assesses the emerging adult’s perception of the moral socialization practices employed by their parents, and, is useful for educators and institutions who seek to study the influence of parents on the moral development of youth. This instrument was administered as a validation study on a sample of 207 emerging adults (age 18–25). After the reliability and the validity analysis were conducted, four subscales were identified: demonstration of trust, moral discussions, inductive discipline, and moral action scaffolding. The scale also demonstrates good internal consistency reliability. These results indicate that PMSS is strong enough to be used for research seeking to understand the factors that contribute to youth wellbeing.