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Evaluating the Parentification Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Psychopathology Correlates

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Abstract

The Parentification questionniare (PQ; Jurkovic and Thirkield in Parentification questionnaire, University Plaza, Atlanta, GA, 1998), developed to assess various levels of parentification retrospectively, is one of the most widely used instruments in the clinical and research literature base. Yet, despite its frequent use, no studies of which we are aware have examined the psychometric properties of this instrument. Thus, this study fills a gap in the literature by examining the psychometric properties of the PQ with a sample of 143 racially diverse college students. The data were subjected to exploratory analysis using principal component analysis. Varimax orthogonal rotations were applied to the analyses. The final results supported a three-component solution (although with fewer items), consistent with Jurkovic’s three-factor multidimensional clinical framework for understanding parentification. We also examined the relations between the resultant scores of the PQ and scores from the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis in Derogatis Brief symptom inventory: Administration, scoring, and procedures manual, National Computer Systems, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, 1993), which captures mental health symptomatology. These results reflected significant correlations in theoretically expected directions. However, taken together, the three PQ factors significantly accounted for the variance in psychopathology scores in only two of the four regression models. The preliminary results from this study support the reliability and multidimensional nature of the PQ scores. Implications for family therapy and suggestions for future family systems research are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology and Counseling, The University of Alabama, 315 B Graves Hall, Box 870231, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA

    Lisa M. Hooper

  2. Department of Psychology, St. John’s University, Marillac Hall, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, USA

    Scyatta A. Wallace

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  1. Lisa M. Hooper
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  2. Scyatta A. Wallace
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Correspondence to Lisa M. Hooper.

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We extend our appreciation to the anonymous journal reviewers who provided useful comments and important suggestions on the original draft of this article.

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Hooper, L.M., Wallace, S.A. Evaluating the Parentification Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Psychopathology Correlates. Contemp Fam Ther 32, 52–68 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-009-9103-9

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