Development and initial validation of the parental response to adolescents' emotions scale: A mixed methods approach

Abstract

An exploratory mixed methods design was used to explore age‐appropriate characteristics of parental response to emotion (PRE) during adolescence in Chinese families and develop the parental response to adolescents' emotions scale (C‐PRAES). Qualitative interviews with 21 parent–adolescent dyads were employed to explore characteristics of PRE in adolescence and generate item pools. Structural validity, criterion validity, measurement invariance across informants (adolescents vs. parents, mothers vs. fathers) and consistency reliability were examined in the quantitative phase (Nadolescent = 702, Nparent = 476). New age‐appropriate strategies were generated from qualitative phase: Guidance in reappraisal, Allowing independent regulation, and Avoiding escalation of conflict. The formal version of the C‐PRAES comprised items in two dimensions (supportive/non‐supportive) and exhibited good validity, reliability, and measurement invariance.