Children’s Beliefs About Parental Divorce Scale (CBAPS)

Abstract

The Children Belief about Parental Divorce Scale (CBAPS) is a specialized psychometric instrument designed to assess the specific cognitive and emotional beliefs held by children regarding their parents’ divorce or separation. Developed by Kurdek and Berg, this 36-item scale measures six distinct dimensions of a child’s psychological adjustment, focusing on maladaptive attributions and fears stemming from the dissolution of the family unit. The CBAPS is crucial for identifying problematic coping responses, such as self-blame or unrealistic hopes for reunification, which allows clinicians to tailor effective therapeutic interventions.

Keywords

CBAPS, Divorce adjustment, Parental separation, Child psychology, Peer ridicule, Fear of abandonment, Hope of reunification, Blame attribution, Self-blame, Psychometric characteristics.

Authors

Lawrence A. Kurdek, Beth Berg.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the CBAPS is to systematically identify and quantify the specific beliefs and attributions children hold concerning their parents’ separation or divorce. These cognitive patterns are considered key indicators of the child’s psychological adjustment, often revealing specific vulnerabilities or maladaptive thought processes that require clinical attention.

The scale helps researchers and clinicians measure six distinct areas of concern, providing a profile that goes beyond a general measure of distress. By identifying problematic responding—such as the attribution of conflict to oneself or an inability to adjust to the permanency of the separation—the CBAPS informs targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at improving the child’s long-term coping skills and emotional well-being.

Construct

The CBAPS measures six distinct, yet interrelated, psychological constructs related to a child’s response to parental separation. Each subscale consists of six items:

• Peer Ridicule and Avoidance: Reflects concerns about social stigma, embarrassment, and resultant difficulty in maintaining or engaging in peer relationships post-divorce.
• Fear of Abandonment: Measures anxiety and worry that the child will be left alone or that one or both parents will cease to care for them.
• Hope of Reunification: Assesses unrealistic expectations or persistent, intense desires that the parents will reconcile and live together again.
• Paternal Blame: Captures the child’s tendency to attribute the cause of the divorce, conflict, or family unhappiness primarily to the father.
• Maternal Blame: Captures the child’s tendency to attribute the cause of the divorce, conflict, or family unhappiness primarily to the mother.
• Self-Blame: Measures the child’s internalization of responsibility, believing that the parental separation or subsequent unhappiness is due to their own behavior or existence.

Validity

The scale demonstrates robust concurrent validity, particularly as established in the foundational work by Kurdek and Berg (1987). The six subscales were found to correlate predictably with other established measures of adjustment and psychological distress in children of divorce, confirming that the CBAPS effectively measures the intended cognitive and emotional sequelae of family dissolution.

Reliability

The internal consistency and stability of the CBAPS subscales are generally considered acceptable to strong, supporting its use as a reliable measure of these specific beliefs. The original psychometric investigation reported the following reliability coefficients (often interpreted as internal consistency/Cronbach’s Alpha, followed by a stability measure):

• Peer Ridicule and Avoidance: 0.62, 0.41
• Fear of Abandonment: 0.73, 0.53
• Hope of Reunification: 0.78, 0.51
• Paternal Blame: 0.78, 0.72
• Maternal Blame: 0.77, 0.51
• Self-Blame: 0.54, 0.43

The higher coefficients observed for the blame attribution and reunification factors suggest a strong internal coherence within those specific constructs.

Factor Analysis

The CBAPS is structured around a clearly defined six-factor model, which was empirically validated through factor analysis. This analysis confirmed that the 36 items load cleanly onto the six hypothesized dimensions: Peer Ridicule and Avoidance, Fear of Abandonment, Hope of Reunification, Paternal Blame, Maternal Blame, and Self-Blame. This distinct factor structure ensures that the scale provides differentiated scores, allowing for a precise understanding of which specific beliefs are contributing most significantly to a child’s maladjustment post-divorce.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Clinical screening tool

Format: 36 items, typically scored using a dichotomous (Yes/No) response format.

Language Available: English (Primary validation language)

Population Group: Children experiencing parental divorce or separation.

Age Group: Primarily school-aged children (typically 8 to 12 years old).

Population Details: Developed for use with children whose parents have recently separated or divorced, assessing their immediate and long-term cognitive and emotional beliefs regarding the event.

Test Methodology: The scale identifies problematic responding based on the direction of the answer. A “yes” response on items 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14-20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30, 35, 36 and a “no” response on items 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 21, 24-26, 28, 31-34 indicate a problematic or maladaptive reaction to the parents divorcing. Scores are summed for each of the six subscales.

Keywords

Child assessment, Family dissolution, Adjustment to parental separation, Factor analysis, Psychopathology screening, Clinical concurrent validity.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The CBAPS was formally developed and its psychometric characteristics published in 1987 by Kurdek and Berg. Although the scale is widely available in academic resource books, users are advised to consult the original publishers (e.g., those associated with the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology) or the authors for formal permissions regarding commercial use or large-scale research projects. The instrument is often made available for non-commercial research or clinical practice.

Test Year: 1987

Reference’s

The instrument documentation and related research can be found at the following links:

• The instrument can be found here: https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/media/215240/children_s_beliefs_about_parental_divorce_tool.doc
• A supplementary document is available here: http://www.cengage.com/resource_uploads/static_resources/0495091855/14000/SA_CH9.doc

Key academic references include:

• Fischer, Joel., Corcoran, Kevin J. (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY. Oxford University Pr. Vol. 1, Page (s): 471-473.
• Kurdek, L. A., & Siesky, A. E. (1979). An interview study of parents’ perceptions of their children’s reactions and adjustment to divorce. Journal of Divorce, 3, 5-17.
• Kurdek, L. A, & Siesky, A. E. (1980). Children’s perceptions of their parents’ divorce. Journal of Divorce, 3, 339-378.
• Kurdek, L.A. (1981). An integrative perspective on children’s divorce adjustment. American Psychologist, 36(8), 856-866.
• Kurdek, L. A., Blisk, D., & Siesky, A. E. (1981). Correlates of children’s long-term adjustment to their parents’ divorce. Developmental, Psychology, 17, 565-579.
• Kurdek, L. A, and Berg, B. (1983). Correlates of children’s adjustment to their parents’ divorces. In L. A Kurdek (Ed.), Children and divorce (pp. 47-60). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Kurdek, L. A., and Berg. B. (1987). Children’s beliefs about parental divorce scale: Psychometric characteristics and concurrent validity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 712-18.
• Kurdek, L.A. (1987). Chlldren’s adjustment to parental divorce: An ecological perspective. Advances in Family Intervention, Assessment and Theory, 1, 1-31.
• Kurdek, L. A., and Berg, B. (1987). Children Belief about Parental Divorce Scale (CBAPS). 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): 471-473.

Items of the Children Belief about Parental Divorce Scale (CBAPS)

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

1. It would upset me if other kids asked a lot of questions about my parents.
2. It was usually my father’s fault when my parents had a fight
3. I sometimes worry that both my parents will want to live without me
4. When my family was unhappy it was usually because of my mother
5. My parents will always live apart
6. My parents often argue with each other after I misbehave
7. I like talking to my friends as much now as I used to
8. My father is usually a nice person
9. It’s possible that both my parents will never want to see me again
10. My mother is usually a nice person
11. If I behave better I might be able to bring my family back together
12. My parents would probably be happier if I were never born
13. I like playing with my friends as much now as I used to
14. When my family was unhappy it was usually because of something my father said or did
15. I sometimes worry that I’ll be left all alone
16. Often I have a bad time when I’m with my mother
17. My family will probably do things together just like before
18. My parents probably argue more when I’m with them than when I’m gone
19. I’d rather be alone than play with other kids
20. My father caused most of the trouble in my family
21. I feel that my parents still love me
22. My mother caused most of the trouble
23. My parents will probably see that they have made a mistake and get back together again
24. My parents are happier when I’m with them than when I’m not
25. My friends and I do many things together
26. There are a lot of things about my father I like
27. I sometimes think that one day I may have to go live with a friend or relative
28. My mother is more good than bad
29. I sometimes think that my parents will one day live together again
30. I can make my parents unhappy with each other by what I say or do
31. My friends understand how I feel about my parents
32. My father is more good than bad
33. I feel my parents still like me
34. There are a lot of things about my mother I like
35. I sometimes think that once my parents realize how much I want them to they’ll live together again
36. My parents would probably still be living together if it weren’t for me