Child’s Attitude Toward Father and Mother (CAF/CAM)

Abstract

The Child’s Attitude Toward Father (CAF) and Child’s Attitude Toward Mother (CAM) scales are two parallel, 25-item instruments designed by Walter W. Hudson. These scales are core components of the WALMYR Clinical Measurement Package and are used extensively in clinical practice and social work research to measure the magnitude and degree of positive or negative attitudes a child holds toward their parental figures. The CAF assesses the child’s feelings, beliefs, and behaviors directed toward the father, while the CAM assesses the same constructs relative to the mother. High scores typically indicate a significant problem in the parent-child relationship requiring intervention.

Keywords

Child attitude, parent-child relationship, family assessment, clinical measurement, social work, W.W. Hudson, CAF/CAM

Authors

Walter W. Hudson

Purpose

The primary purpose of the CAF/CAM scales is to provide clinicians and researchers with a reliable and quantifiable measure of the child’s affective disposition toward one or both parents. By quantifying the level of dissatisfaction, resentment, or positive regard, the instrument helps in: identifying dysfunctional family relationships; establishing baseline measures prior to therapeutic intervention; monitoring changes in attitude and relationship quality over time; and evaluating the overall effectiveness of family or individual therapy aimed at improving parent-child dynamics.

The scales are designed to be sensitive to change, making them valuable tools for tracking progress in dynamic therapeutic settings. They provide a standardized metric that moves beyond subjective observational data, enhancing the precision of psychological assessment.

Construct

The CAF and CAM scales measure the psychological construct of Parental Attitude, specifically focusing on the child’s perspective. This construct encapsulates several underlying dimensions of the relationship, including: Affection and Trust (e.g., feeling able to trust the parent); Conflict and Resentment (e.g., feeling angry or irritated); and Acceptance and Dependence (e.g., feeling proud of or dependent on the parent). The scales operate on the fundamental premise that a child’s expressed attitude is a direct reflection of the quality of the interpersonal relationship with the parent.

Validity

As part of the WALMYR assessment package, the CAF/CAM scales are generally reported to possess strong psychometric properties, though specific recent validity coefficients may vary across application settings. The measure demonstrates high Face Validity, as the items clearly relate to feelings about a parent. Content Validity is established through its comprehensive coverage of various emotional and behavioral indicators of parental regard, ranging from affection to resentment and violence. Furthermore, criterion-related Validity has typically been demonstrated through correlations with established measures of familial distress and clinical indices of psychosocial functioning, affirming that the scores accurately reflect the severity of the relational problem.

Reliability

The CAF/CAM scales are typically reported to have high internal consistency, which is characteristic of the Hudson scales. The consistency is generally measured using Cronbach’s alpha, which frequently exceeds the standard clinical threshold of 0.90, indicating excellent reliability. This high degree of Internal Consistency suggests that all 25 items reliably measure the same underlying construct (attitude toward the parent). Test-retest Reliability, measuring score stability over short periods, is also reported to be high, supporting the use of the scales for repeated measurement in clinical settings.

Factor Analysis

While the CAF/CAM scales are primarily utilized as unidimensional measures intended to produce a single summary score reflecting the overall magnitude of the attitude, factor analysis studies have generally supported the strong primary factor structure inherent in the scale design. The high correlation among items confirms that they load heavily onto a single dimension—the child’s general positive or negative attitude toward the parent. Some research suggests minor secondary factors related to specific aspects like conflict or affection, but for clinical use, the instruments are scored and interpreted as measuring a singular construct of parental attitude.

Instrument

Test Type: Standardized self-report scale

Format: 25 items utilizing a 7-point Likert scale response format.

Language Available: Primarily English (translations may exist depending on the research context).

Population Group: Children and adolescents.

Age Group: Typically used with children capable of reading and understanding the items, generally ages 12 and older, although suitable for younger children with adequate reading ability or administration assistance.

Population Details: Applicable to clinical populations undergoing family or individual therapy, as well as non-clinical populations for research purposes related to family dynamics and adjustment.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate how frequently each statement applies to their feelings toward the parent, ranging from 1 (“None of the time”) to 7 (“All of the time”). Items 2, 3, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 21, and 24 are reverse-scored to ensure that a higher total score consistently indicates a greater magnitude of problematic or negative attitude.

Keywords

Parental attitude, self-report instrument, family dynamics, relationship quality, psychometrics, clinical assessment, W.W. Hudson

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in the source documentation.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in the source documentation; typically associated with WALMYR Publishing Company.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is generally handled through the scale developer, WALMYR Publishing Co. (Tallahassee, FL, or Tempe, AZ, per reference dates).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The CAF/CAM scales are proprietary instruments developed by W.W. Hudson and distributed by WALMYR Publishing Company. Permissions and fees for clinical or large-scale research use must be obtained directly from WALMYR. The scale documentation dates back to the early 1990s, with significant publication in 1992 and 1997 as part of the complete WALMYR assessment package.

The original PDF sample documentation for the scale can be downloaded here: https://www.walmyr.com/PDFs/CAFSAMPLE.pdf.

Reference’s

• Hudson, W.W. (1997). The WALMYR assessment scale scoring manual. Tallahassee, FL: WALMYR Pub. Co.
• Hudson, W.W. (1982). One Clinical Measurement Package: A field manual. Homewood, IL: Dorsey Press.
• Hudson, W. W. (1992). Child Attitude Toward Father (CAF) / Child Attitude Toward Mother (CAM). The WALMYR Assessment Scales Scoring Manual. Tempe, AZ: WALMYR Publishing Company.
• Hudson, W.W. (1997). Child’s Attitude Toward Father (CAF) and Mother (CAM). In Fischer, Joel., Corcoran, Kevin J. (2007 ). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY. Oxford University Pr. Vol. 1, Page (s): 457-459.

Items of the Child’s Attitude Toward Father and Mother (CAF/CAM)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. My father/mother gets on my nerves.
2. I get along well with my father.
3. I feel that I can really trust my father/mother.
4. I dislike my father/mother.
5. My father’s behavior embarrasses me.
6. My father/mother is too demanding.
7. I wish I had a different father/mother.
8. I really enjoy my father.
9. My father/mother puts too many limits on me.
10. My father/mother interferes with my activities.
11. I resent my father/mother.
12. I think my father/mother is terrific.
13. I hate my father/mother.
14. My father/mother is very patient with me.
15. I really like my father.
16. I like being with my father.
17. I feel like I do not love my father/mother.
18. My father/mother is very irritating.
19. I feel very angry toward my father/mother.
20. I feel violent toward my father/mother.
21. I feel proud of my father.
22. I wish my father/mother was more like others I know.
23. My father/mother does not understand me.
24. I can really depend on my father.
25. I feel ashamed of my father.

Scoring Key:

Response Options: 1= None of the time, 2= Very rarely, 3= A little of the time, 4= Some of the time, 5= A good part of the time, 6= Most of the time, 7= All of the time

Reverse-scoring items: 2, 3, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 21, 24