Parent-Adolescent Communication (Adolescent and Parent forms)

Abstract

The Parent-Adolescent Communication scale (PAC) is a widely utilized psychological scale designed to measure the quality of communication within the parent-adolescent dyad. It consists of two distinct forms: one for the parent and one for the adolescent, each containing 20 items. The instrument assesses two primary subscales: positive aspects of communication (e.g., openness and understanding) and problems in communication (e.g., avoidance and conflict). The PAC scale provides researchers and clinicians with a standardized method for quantifying the relational dynamics essential for healthy family functioning.

Keywords

Parent-Adolescent Communication, Family Communication, Dyadic Relationship, Communication Problems, Psychological Assessment, Adolescence, Family Inventories.

Authors

H.L. Barnes, D.H. Olson

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Parent-Adolescent Communication scale is to provide a comprehensive and quantitative assessment of the communication patterns between a parent and their adolescent child. It is specifically designed to capture the mutual perceptions of both parties regarding the effectiveness and quality of their interactions.

The scale distinguishes between functional (positive) and dysfunctional (problematic) communication behaviors. This distinction allows for targeted interventions in clinical and educational settings aimed at improving family cohesion and reducing relational conflict during the critical developmental period of adolescence. The instrument serves as a critical tool in assessing outcomes in child and youth programs.

Construct

The PAC scale measures the psychological construct of Parent-Adolescent Communication quality. This construct is operationalized through 20 items divided into two dimensions. The first dimension, Positive Communication, focuses on aspects such as mutual respect, open expression of beliefs and feelings, empathy, and satisfaction with dialogue. These items reflect healthy relational functioning.

The second dimension, Problematic Communication, captures elements of relational distress, including mistrust, avoidance of difficult topics, fear of expression, use of silent treatment, and verbal aggression (e.g., nagging or insults). By measuring both positive and negative communication styles, the scale offers a balanced view of the dyadic relationship.

Validity

While specific detailed validity studies were not provided in the source content, the scale’s construct validity is strongly supported by its inclusion in major family inventory handbooks and its extensive use in empirical research focused on family dynamics and youth outcomes since its publication. The clear theoretical distinction between the two measured subscales (Positive vs. Problematic Communication) suggests strong face and content validity, reflecting accepted concepts in family systems theory.

Furthermore, the demonstrated high internal consistency, as evidenced by strong reliability coefficients, indirectly supports the coherence and validity of the underlying constructs being measured across both the parent and adolescent forms.

Reliability

The Parent-Adolescent Communication scale demonstrates strong internal consistency, confirming its high reliability across both subscales and the total scale score. The reported Alpha coefficients for both subscales and the combined total scale have been found to fall within the range of .78 to .92.

This range indicates that the items within the scale consistently measure the same underlying construct, meeting or exceeding the standards typically required for research instruments in psychological and social science research.

Factor Analysis

The Parent-Adolescent Communication scale is structured based on a clear two-factor model, although explicit factor analysis results (e.g., confirmatory or exploratory findings) were not detailed in the source material. The scale is inherently divided into two dimensions:

• Positive Communication: Items 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17.
• Problems in Communication: Items 2, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 20.

This structure implies that the instrument was developed to confirm or explore these two orthogonal dimensions of parent-adolescent communication, suggesting a robust theoretical foundation for its scoring methodology.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological scale (Inventory)

Format: Paper-and-Pencil Questionnaire utilizing a 5-point Likert scale response format.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Parents and Adolescents

Age Group: Adolescents (typically 12-18 years) and their parents.

Population Details: Suitable for assessing communication in diverse family structures, focusing on the dyadic interaction between one parent (mother or father) and one child.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement with 20 statements using the following scoring system:

• 1 = Strongly Disagree
• 2 = Moderately Disagree
• 3 = Neither Agree or Disagree
• 4 = Moderately Agree
• 5 = Strongly Agree

Scoring involves summing items within each subscale. Scores for the “Problems in Communication” subscale must be reversed before summation to calculate the total communication score, where a higher final score indicates better communication quality.

Keywords

Family Therapy, Assessment, Dyadic Interaction, Self-Report, Communication Openness, Conflict Avoidance, David Olson, Family Social Science.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source.

Correspondence Address: Dr. David Olson, Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, 290 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave. St Paul, MN 55108.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permission to use the Parent-Adolescent Communication scales can be obtained by contacting Dr. David Olson at the provided correspondence address. The instrument was initially published in 1982 as part of the Family Inventories handbook.

The instrument is documented in the resource “Assessing Outcomes in Child and Youth Programs: A Practical Handbook,” pages 91-95. The original PDF for this handbook, which contains the scale, can be downloaded here: http://4h.uwex.edu/evaluation/documents/ChildYouthOutcomeHandbook2005.pdf

Reference’s

Barnes, H.L., & Olson, D.H. (1982). Parent adolescent communication scales. In D.H. Olson, H.I. McCubbin, H. Barnes, A. Larsen, M. Muxen, & M. Wilson (Eds.), Family inventories, (pp. 33-48). St Paul: Family Social Science, University of Minnesota.

Items of the Parent-Adolescent Communication (Adolescent and Parent forms)

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

Parent Form

Please circle the response that best shows how you and your child usually communicate.

1. I can discuss my beliefs with my child without feeling restrained or embarrassed.
2. Sometimes I have trouble believing everything my child tells me.
3. My child is always a good listener.
4. I am sometimes afraid to ask my child for what I want.
5. My child has a tendency to say things to me which would be better left unsaid.
6. My child can tell how I’m feeling without asking.
7. I am very satisfied with how my child and I talk together.
8. If I were in trouble‚ I could tell my child.
9. I openly show affection to my child.
10. When we are ha‎ving a problem‚ I often give my child the silent treatment.
11. I am careful about what I say to my child.
12. When talking with my child‚ I have a tendency to say things that would be better left unsaid.
13. When I ask questions‚ I get honest answers from my child.
14. My child tries to understand my point of view.
15. There are topics I avoid discussing with my child.
16. I find it easy to discuss problems with my child.
17. It is very easy for me to express all my true feelings to my child.
18. My child nags/bothers me.
19. My child insults me when s/he is angry with me.
20. I don’t think I can tell my child how I really feel about some things.

Teen form

Circle the answer that best shows how you communicate with your mother or father. Circle which parent you are filling out this form for by circling mother or father.

CIRCLE: Mother OR Father

1. I can discuss my beliefs with my mother/father without feeling restrained or embarrassed.
2. Sometimes I have trouble believing everything my mother/father tells me.
3. My mother/father is always a good listener.
4. I am sometimes afraid to ask my mother/father for what I want.
5. My mother/father has a tendency to say things to me that would be better left unsaid.
6. My mother/father can tell how I’m feeling without asking.
7. I am very satisfied with how my mother/ father and I talk together.
8. If I were in trouble‚ I could tell my mother/father.
9. I openly show affection to my mother/father.
10. When we are ha‎ving a problem‚ I often give my mother/father the silent treatment.
11. I am careful about what I say to my mother/father.
12. When talking to my mother/father‚ I have a tendency to say things that would be better left unsaid.
13. When I ask questions‚ I get honest answers from my mother/father.
14. My mother/father tries to understand my point of view.
15. There are topics I avoid discussing with my mother/father.
16. I find it easy to discuss problems with my mother/father.
17. It is very easy for me to express all my true feelings to my mother/father.
18. My mother/father nags/bothers me.
19. My mother/father insults me when s/he is angry with me.
20. I don’t think I can tell my mother/father how I really feel about some things.