Three-Dimensional Filial Piety Scale: Development and Validation of Filial Piety Among Chinese Working Adults

Abstract

The aim of this investigation is to develop a three-dimensional filial piety scale and explore its psychometric properties. Two studies are conducted based on Wang’s three-dimensional filial piety model. Study 1 consists of a review of the current literature, in-depth interviews, and feedback from the target group and experts. An initial 36-item scale using a bipolar Likert 6-point rating scale is developed. Then exploratory factor analysis is conducted on working adults (n = 617) to explore the dimensions and final items, and a 15-item scale with three factors is obtained. Study 2 confirms the factor structure of the new three-factor scale obtained from Study 1 using a confirmatory factor analysis with sample 1 (n = 585). Next, the criterion validity is tested with sample 2 (n = 248) and test–retest reliability with sample 3 (n = 67). The results support the model on which this scale is based and show three dimensions of filial piety, namely the balance of interests, good affection, and family role norms. As a valid, reliable scale, the three-dimensional filial piety scale can therefore be used in the Chinese context to measure filial piety for working adults of different genders and ages and in different cohabitation situations.

Evolution of the Conceptualization of Filial Piety in the Global Context: From Skin to Skeleton

“…In this section, we review Lum et al’s measure along with two other recently proposed measures of filial piety (i.e., Shi and Wang, 2019 ; Fu et al, 2020 ). These studies illustrate the problem of defining filial piety in terms of norms, as well as the importance of understanding the history of the conceptualization of filial piety and the content of previous measures.…”

“…We have made the case for a shift from a surface (skin) focus on norms to a deep structure (skeleton) focus on the psychological motivations of filial piety. Shi and Wang (2019) recently made the case for focusing research on filial motivation with the argument that motivation is the central process for generating moral judgment and action, and proposed a new measure of filial piety, the three-dimensional filial piety model (TDFPM). Each of the three dimensions consists of two opposite poles: good affection (true–false), family role norms (autonomy–heteronomy), and balance of interests (reasonable–unreasonable).…”

“…This approach allows investigation of a broader range of filial interaction and thus a broader range of filial outcomes because deep motivations can be used to explain surface behavior, but surface behavior does not in itself indicate motivation. We discuss application of the DFPM approach in relation to filial piety research from some non-Confucian societies to demonstrate the cross-cultural applicability of the model, and then conclude with a review of recent proposals for measuring Chinese filial piety (i.e., Lum et al, 2016 ; Shi and Wang, 2019 ; Fu et al, 2020 ).…”

A Measurement Invariance Investigation of the Polish Version of the Dual Filial-Piety Scale (DFPS-PL): Student-Employee and Gender Differences in Filial Beliefs

“…Because of cultural change, some authors claim that a majority of people no longer regard filial piety as an authoritative obligation in the twenty-first century. Although newer measures, such as the Contemporary Filial Piety Scale (CFPS, Lum et al, 2015 ) and the Three-Dimensional Filial Piety Model (TDFPM, Shi and Wang, 2019 ) are available, there are limitations to these measures, which hinder their applicability across cultures. It seems that “DFPM has been the most important theory, and the DFPS has been the most widely used scale in current filial piety research thus far” (Shi and Wang, 2019 , p. 2).…”

Vietnamese version of the Dual Filial Piety Scale: preliminary validation in a student sample

“…Though the Three-Dimensional Filial Piety Model (TDFPM) as an extension of the DFPM was more recently developed by Shi and Wang (2019), the "DFPM has been the most important theory, and the DFPS (Dual Filial Piety Scale) has been the most widely used scale in current filial piety research thus far" (Shi & Wang, 2019, p. 2). The DFPM is used to re-conceptualize filial piety from its Chinese culture-specific norms to a contextualized personality construct represented by a pair of culturally sensitive psychological schemas of parent-child interaction, which can provide a platform for research in any culture.…”