Factorial structure and cross-cultural invariance of the parenting stress index-short form in Hong Kong and Thailand

Xiaozi GAO, Kerry LEE

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

With increasing attention on the role of parenting stress on family functioning and children’s development, one area that has been neglected is how such relations differ across cultures. Although sometimes viewed as homogeneous, Asian countries often have markedly different belief systems. Cross-cultural studies require instruments that have been validated in different socio-cultural contexts. The widely used parenting stress index-short form (PSI-SF) has been used in several locations. However, results regarding its factorial structure have been mixed. Furthermore, there are only a few cross-cultural comparison studies. This study examined the factorial structure of an abridged version of the PSI-SF with data from Hong Kong (N = 258) and Thailand (N = 190). The results from confirmatory factor analyses indicated that, in both cultures, a three-factorial structure provides the best model fit. Furthermore, we found evidence for partial metric invariance, suggesting that the test scores can be compared directly. Tests for convergent and discriminant validity revealed that the three factors were correlated with parent general distress, authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting behaviors, in both cultures. These findings suggest that the abridged PSI-SF can provide a meaningful comparison of parenting stress between Hong Kong and Thailand. Copyright © 2021 Gao and Lee.
Original languageEnglish
Article number661972
JournalFrontiers in Psychology
Volume12
Early online date13 May 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2021

Citation

Gao, X., & Lee, K. (2021). Factorial structure and cross-cultural invariance of the parenting stress index-short form in Hong Kong and Thailand. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661972

Keywords

  • Parenting stress
  • Test adaptation
  • Measurement invariance
  • Convergent and discriminant validity
  • Cross-culture

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Factorial structure and cross-cultural invariance of the parenting stress index-short form in Hong Kong and Thailand'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.